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 where her credits include: Vertical Road, DUST (also Finnish National Opera and Ballet) (English National Ballet); iTMOi , Torobaka, Gnosis, Kaash, The Rashomon Effect, Outwitting the Devil (Sadler’s Wells); technê (for Sylvie Guillem’s Life in Progress) and XENOS (Onassis Cultural Centre).
Other set and costume designs for dance include: M-Dao (English National Ballet, choreography by Yabin Wang); Carmen (The Lithuanian National Opera and Ballet Theatre ); The Little Prince (Les Grands Ballets Canadiens de Montréal ); The 3 Dancers (Rambert Dance Company / Introdans); 360˚ (Luzerner Theater, choreography by Didy Veldman); Adam Zero / Die Vier Jahreszeiten (Stadttheater Bremerhaven, choreography by Sergei Vanaev); Alfhild Agrells Arv (Norrdans).
For Northern Ballet: The Shape of Sound (choreography by Kenneth Tindall), The Kingdom of Back (choreography by Morgann Runacre-Temple), Mamela …(choreography by Mlindi Kulashe). Costume design for dance includes: FALL (Royal Ballet of Flanders); Qutb (Sadler’s Wells / Introdans, choreography by Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui).
Other choreographers that Kimie has worked with include: Aditi Mangaldas , Miguel Altunaga, Carlos Acosta, José Agudo, Alesandra Seutin, Megumi Nakamura, Peter Svenzon, Mari Carraco, Megumi Eda, Alesandra Seutin and Dam Van Huynh. Other companies include Royal Danish Ballet, Grand Theatre Geneve and Companhia Nacional de Bailado, National Theatre Kosice, Boston Ballet, San Francisco Ballet, Staatstheater-Staatsoper Dresden, Stuttgart Operahouse, Avignon Festival, The Moscow State Stanislavsky and Nemirovich-Danchenko Music Theatre.
Opera credits include: Turandot (Grand Theatre Geneva, director Daniel Kramer); The Return of Ulysses (Royal Opera House, director John Fulljames); Tristan und Isolde (Longborough Festival Opera, director Carmen Jakobi); Dream Hunter (Wilton’s Music Hall, director Carmen Jakobi); Tokaido Road (UK Tour, by Nicola LeFanu, director Caroline Clegg).
Theatre credits include: My Neighbour Totoro (RSC/Barbican/West End); Yabu no Naka, modern noh/kyogen (Cocoon Theatre / Japan Tour, director Mansai Nomura); 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).
Musical costume credits include: Death Note: The Musical in Concert (West End); Your Lie in April (West End).
Film credits include costumes for Basho (2008) and Macbeth (2018).
Awards include: Olivier Award 2023 for Best Costume Design (My Neighbour Totoro).
Kimie also designed costumes for Shadow of Memory, the commemoration of the 20th anniversary Kwibuka ceremony in Rwanda (2014). Her work has also been exhibited at the 2015 Prague Quadrennial and the V&A.