Born in Kharkov, Russia. Trained in embroidery in Russia and worked in Paris and London before moving to New York in 1939. Throughout her career, she designed and constructed costumes for dance, film and Broadway musicals. In designing for ballet, she first worked with George Balanchine in 1932 in Europe, and collaborated with him in New York from 1946 until the end of her life. Karinska's costume shop only made costumes for New York City Ballet after 1964. Besides George Balanchine's The Nutcracker, she is well known for her costume designs for Balanchine's Vienna Walzes, Jewels, and Western Symphony, among many others. Other notable non-nominated film credits include PARADIS PERDU (1940), KISMET (1944), KITTY (1945), THE DIARY OF A CHAMBERMAID and BLUE SKIES (both 1946), THE PIRATE (1948), C'EST LA VIE PARISIENNE (1954), LE FIL À LA PATTE (1955) and A MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S DREAM (1967). She won an Academy Award for her work in JOAN OF ARC (1948).  Costume Design (Color) 1948: JOAN OF ARC (w. Dorothy Jeakins)  Nominated for Costume Design (Color) 1952: HANS CHRISTIAN ANDERSEN (w. Clavé & Mary Wills) 2 nominations, 1 Award