ABOUT OUI COSTUME STUDIO
Custom dancewear,
since 2004.
I'm Oui Dettmer, the designer, seamstress, and mother behind the studio.
HOW IT STARTED
It began with
my daughter.
In 2004, I founded Oui Dancewear now known as Oui Costume Studio after making dance clothes for my daughter's classes. She trained more than 40 hours a week, so comfort and durability mattered just as much as the design. I wanted her to have pieces she loved wearing and could move freely in.
Other dancers began asking for pieces of their own, and those early requests grew into collaborations with studios across Southern California. Over 36 years of sewing, I've learned to look closely at both the performer and the performance: how a garment feels, how it moves, and how its details appear on stage.
In 2020, I renamed the business Oui Design Shop as my work expanded into special-occasion outfits alongside dancewear. The name became Oui Costume Studio in 2025, bringing that range of work together under one roof. My daughter, Pam, now works alongside me in the studio. What started with her dancewear has become a family business, creating custom pieces for children, teens, and adults.
Most mornings, I'm hand-stitching appliqués with a cup of coffee beside me. When I'm not at the machine, I'm spending time with my family.
OTHER CUSTOM WORK
Costume design
beyond dance.
I personally fit more than 200 dance costumes each season. Those fittings are where I see how a neckline sits, where a strap needs adjusting, and whether a dancer feels comfortable moving in a piece.
My work includes jazz, contemporary, lyrical, and teen competition costumes, along with wedding dresses, prom and pageant wear, and audition pieces for NFL, NBA, collegiate dance teams, and Broadway. Each setting asks something different of a garment; I enjoy working out those details with the person wearing it.
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