Welcome to my world of theatrical imagination.
Thank you for visiting my website.
My name is Kayo Deschene, a stage costume designer. Originally from Japan, I moved to the peaceful island of Molokai, Hawaii in 2009, after my international marriage.
Surrounded by the sea and the mountains, I live in harmony with nature and draw inspiration from the slow, deep rhythm of island life. My costume design work has continued across borders—from Japanese theater productions to operas and festivals in Europe. Each piece I create tells a story, blending traditional aesthetics with a fresh, global sensibility.
Design that opens new doors
I have always believed that when a performer is truly exceptional, their presence alone can deeply move an audience.
In that sense, the performers on stage are already delivering something close to 100%.
My role as a costume designer is not to compete with that, but to elevate it—to take that 100% and help turn it into 120 or even 150.
It’s in that space, where visual design exceeds expectations, that something magical happens: a door opens in the hearts of the audience—one they didn’t even know existed.
Opera audiences, in particular, tend to have an extraordinary sensitivity to music.
When visual design aligns and resonates with the music at a high level, it can enhance their perception of musical quality in ways they’ve never felt before.
That moment—when music and design lift each other—is a powerful and deeply human joy.
It is the kind of work I strive for:
Not just to decorate the stage, but to create an experience that expands the richness of feeling and perception in everyone who enters the theatre.
新しい扉をひらくデザインを
私は常々、素晴らしい演者が舞台に立てば、それだけでお客様の心は充分に動かされるものだと信じています。
つまり、演者はすでに「100点」を届けているのです。
私の仕事は、衣裳や美術によって、その100点を120点、あるいは150点へと引き上げること。
その「予想を超える美術」が現れたとき、観客の心の中に、思いがけない扉がふっと開くのです。
とりわけオペラの観客は、音楽への感性が鋭く、音楽のクオリティを瞬時に感じ取ります。
そんなとき、舞台美術が音楽と高いレベルで響き合うことで、観客はこれまで感じられなかったような音楽の豊かさを体験することができます。
それは人にとって、まさに「自分の感性が豊かになっていく喜び」——心が深く満たされる瞬間です。
私は、そんな体験を支える仕事がしたいのです。
ただ舞台を飾るのではなく、「人の感性と体験そのものを広げる舞台空間」を創造すること。
それが、私のめざすデザインです。