MAORI KIMURA

木村茉央里

Textile & Product Designer

Sustainable objects with playful structure

She delves into the boundless potential of materials through playful experimentation with techniques, crafting unique interpretations with structural textures and colours. Blending functionality and artistry, her designs stimulate curiosity, bringing a refreshing delight to daily life through captivating, expressive forms.

After earning a BA in Textile Design from Tama Art University in Tokyo, she worked for seven years as a textile and bag designer at ISSEY MIYAKE.

In 2019, she visited Dutch Design Week and was inspired by the design approach, which later motivated her to move to the Netherlands. To explore new possibilities of materials and tactile expressions in design and art, she studied glassblowing and ceramics in Denmark.

In 2022, she founded MAORI KIMURA DESIGN STUDIO, focusing on creating surfaces that wrap and contain objects, spaces, and people.

Based in Amsterdam, the Netherlands

遊び心とともにさまざまなテクニックを実験的に取り入れ、素材の可能性を追求しながら、立体的なテクスチャーと色彩で独創的な表現を生み出しています。機能性と装飾性を融合させたデザインは好奇心を刺激し、表情豊かで魅惑的なフォルムを通して日々の生活を楽しく彩ります。

多摩美術大学 生産デザイン学科 テキスタイルデザイン専攻卒業後、 テキスタイル・バッグデザイナーとして ISSEY MIYAKE に7 年間勤務。デンマークにて吹きガラスや陶芸を学び、その後Dutch Design Weekからオランダのデザインアプローチに感銘を受けたことをきっかけに移住。
2022年にMAORI KIMURA DESIGN STUDIOを設立し、包むことや入れものの構造をテーマに、人と空間のあいだに新しいつながりや対話を生み出す活動を続けています。

Career / Education

2025 May-July           Design Academy NOVA - A fashion design education programme co-hosted by Zalando SE and VORN eG - The Berlin Fashion Hub / Berlin, DE

2023 Oct–2024 Apr   Design Academy Eindhoven – Pre-Master Course (part-time) / Eindhoven, NL

2022 Aug- Present    MAORI KIMURA DESIGN STUDIO / Rotterdam(2022-2024), Amsterdam(2025-), NL

2022 Jan–Jun              Bornholms Højskole (Folk High School) / Bornholm, Denmark

2014 - 2021                 Accessory and Textile Designer at ISSEY MIYAKE INC. / Tokyo, JP

2012 - 2013                 Package designer at Nexta corp. / Tokyo, JP

2012                             BA in Department of Product and Textile Design, Textile Design Course, Tama Art University / Tokyo, JP

EXHIBITION / EVENT

2025 Sep 26                 DenkProducties - at Amsterdam Business Forum with THIS IS FREE FASHION / Amsterdam, NL [Fringe Friends]

2025 Sep 21-22            GRAW 2025 – Groot Rotterdams Atelier Weekend 2025 / Rotterdam, NL [Fringe Friends]

2025 Jul 17-18, Aug 16  THIS IS FREE FASHION at Rotterdam Central Station / Rotterdam, NL [Fringe Friends]

2025 May 25               Design Fair 2025 at Nieuwe Instituut / Rotterdam, NL [Fringe Friends]

2025 Mar 29- Apr 19  F-ART COLOR MATTERS! at Mishmash Gallery / Rotterdam, NL [Fringe Friends, ORIFORI TEXTILE]

2025 Mar 13                 Opening Event of Systemiq / Amsterdam, NL [Fringe Friends]

2025 Feb 14-16            OBJECT ROTTERDAM 2025 / Rotterdam, NL  [Fringe Friends]

2024 Oct 19-27            Dutch Design Week 2024 / Eindhoven, NL at Piet Hein Eek [Fringe Friends]

2024 Sep 13-15            MONO JAPAN FAIR 2024 / Rotterdam, NL  [ORIFORI TEXTILE]

2024 Sep 21-22            GRAW 2024 – Groot Rotterdams Atelier Weekend 2024/ Rotterdam, NL

2024 Jul 13                    VERSATILE ACADEMY POP-UP EXPO / Rotterdam, NL [Fringe Friends]

2023 Sep 16-17             GRAW 2023 – Groot Rotterdams Atelier Weekend 2023 / Rotterdam, NL

2023 Mar 21 – May 14 The Art of September / Amsterdam, NL [Floating Color]

2014 Aug 10-13             The 6th International Meeting on Origami in Science, Mathematics, and Education /  Tokyo, JP [POP-UP PATTERN]

2013 Apr 8-14                Contemporary Japanese Design + Asobi Japan Creation 100 at Salone del Mobile. Milano / Milan, IT [POP-UP PATTERN]

2013 Apr 11-30              SIFEC International Student Fashion Design Expo 2013, part of Shanghai Fashion Week / Shanghai, CHN [POP-UP PATTERN]

2010 Dec 28-30              HANDMADE IN JAPAN AWARD by Creema / Düsseldorf, DE [With book]

PRESS / PUBLICATIONS

2025 Mar JAN & JAN Living April 2025 “Verfrissend design – Meubelmonsterties” [Fringe Friends] - page -

2024 Dec MIX Magazine by Colour Hive Issue 78 (2026/27) “New Issue” Surface section [Fringe Friends]

2024 Nov SHE IS COOL collective portfolio - page -

2024 Oct RESIDENCE ”Dutch Design Week 2024: These talents caught our eye”

2024 Oct dezeen “Six statement furniture projects by rising stars from the Dutch design scene”

2023 May FASHION TREND Web Magazine – Client work featured for PUZZLE, a cryptic fashion brand blending mystery and wearable storytelling.

2015 Sep Un nouvel art du pli Guillaume; Genevaux, Chloe; Trebbi, Jean-Charles Bounoure- [POP-UP PATTERN]

AWARDS

2012 Shimanto Newspaper bag -free category- [Swaying Pleats Bag]

2012 MITSUBISHI CHEMICAL JUNIOR DESIGNER AWARD 2012 Nominated [POP-UP PATTERN]

2012 Got a prise university’s final exhibition [POP-UP PATTERN]

2011 Kamiwaza(Paper craft) award [Bloom coaster]

CONFERENCE / LECTURE

2025 Mar Guest speaker at Sense Laboratory / Tokyo, JP (online)

2024 Jul Lecture at NEMO SABO Amstelveen / Amsterdam, NL

2024 Jun Department of Architecture Aichi Institute of Technology/ Nagoya, JP (online)

2014 Aug The 6th International Meeting on Origami in Science, Mathematics and Education/ Tokyo, JP

2013 Jan Department of Architecture Aichi Institute of Technology/ Nagoya, JP