Helena Fontaine

Helena Fontaine is a Paris-born self-taught tailor and hat maker based in Berlin. Her practice is rooted in textile reuse, handmade construction, and a strong attachment to material history. Her relationship to garments and fabrics began in 2015 while working with the label 12-NA in Valparaíso, Chile — a project developing upcycled clothing long before circular fashion became a widespread conversation. Chile, being one of the world’s largest destinations for second-hand clothing, deeply shaped her understanding of textile excess, transformation, and resourcefulness. After returning to Europe inspired by this experience, she began sewing in 2020 and later joined the Berlin-based hat makers Captain Crop, where she spent four years developing handcrafted caps, bags, hats, and garments from reclaimed materials such as vintage bedsheets, awnings, flour sacks, upholstery fabrics, and deadstock textiles. In 2024, she launched her own independent label, continuing to build a practice that moves between fashion, craftsmanship, and storytelling. Alongside her work in clothing and millinery, Helena Fontaine is also active as a musician, curator, and radio host, influences that naturally feed into her visual universe and approach to design.