Kimie Nakano studied Literature at Musashino University in Tokyo, Theatre Costume at Ecole Nationale Supérieure des Arts et Techniques du Théâtre in Paris and has an MA in Theatre Design from Wimbledon College of Art in London. She has worked regularly with Akram Khan Company. Other set and costume designs for dance include: M-Dao (English National Ballet); Carmen (Lithuanian National Opera and Ballet); The Little Prince (Les Grands Ballets Canadiens de Montréal); The 3 Dancers (Rambert Dance Company / Introdans); 360˚ (Luzerner Theater); Adam Zero / Die Vier Jahreszeiten (Stadttheater Bremerhaven); Alfhild Agrells Arv (Norrdans).
For Northern Ballet: The Shape of Sound, The Kingdom of Back, Mamela. Costume design for dance includes: FALL (Royal Ballet of Flanders); Qutb (Sadler’s Wells / Introdans). Opera credits include: Turandot (Grand Theatre Geneva); The Return of Ulysses (Royal Opera House); Tristan und Isolde (Longborough Festival Opera); Dream Hunter (Wilton’s Music Hall); Tokaido Road (UK Tour, by Nicola LeFanu). Theatre credits include: My Neighbour Totoro (RSC/Barbican/West End); Yabu no Naka, modern noh/kyogen (Cocoon Theatre / Japan Tour); Pas, Pas Moi, Va et Vient (TNP Beckett Festival); The Lady from the Sea (Kilden Teater); Rough Girls (Lyric Theatre Belfast); 2Graves (Arts Theatre); La Nuit du Train de la Voie Lacteé (Théâtre Sartrouville / Yvelines – CDN / Cultural Centre of Fujimi City, Kijimuna Festa in Okinawa City).
Awards include an Olivier Award 2023 for Best Costume Design (My Neighbour Totoro). Her work has also been exhibited at the 2015 Prague Quadrennial and the V&A.