Hello Kitty : 40th Anniversary at JANM

Here in Los Angeles, Sanrio celebrates the 40th anniversary of Hello Kitty with an exhibit at the Japanese American National Museum in Little Tokyo. Looking at Kitty through a historical and sociological lens, the exhibit allows you to explore the birth of a brand from it’s inception to iconic status. This is a breathtaking opportunity for anyone in consumer products or product development to get a consolidated overview on brand evolution.

Hello Kitty was born as Kitty White to Sanrio founder and CEO, Shintaro Tsuji who based his idea on happy childhood memories of a Christian kindergarten where he experienced the joys of birthday parties, informal celebrations and small gifts. These small gifts had humble beginnings as stationery, school items, plushes, et cetera going on to become a magnet for luxury goods.

The original Kitty White.

The Gaze of Kitty, Kazuki TakamatsuHi Kitty, Audrey KawasakiHello Kitty Fanatic, Junko Mizuno

Hello Kitty Hello, Becca

Hello World, Yis “Nosego” Goodwin

Hello Kitty Kaiju, Mark Nagata

Cosplay, Julia Sh

Kitty Visions, kozyndan

Hello Kitty’s Submarine Ride, Paul Frank

Hello Kitty In Bloom, Michael Courville

Hello Kitty, Buff Monster

Block Hello Kitty, Yarnes & Noble

Eat Cakes, You Kitty, Brandi MilneHello, My Little Girl, Hikari ShimodaHello Lincoln, Scott Scheidly

Hello! is curated by Christine Yano, PhD

HELLO! EXPLORING THE SUPERCUTE WORLD OF HELLO KITTY

October 11, 2014 – April 26, 2015

 

All photos ©Janene Dunbar