Hello Kitty: Yuko Shimizu
Learn more →A white cat with no mouth. A red bow. No facial expression — and that's exactly why she speaks to everyone differently. Hello Kitty was created in 1974 by the hand of designer Yuko Shimizu as a simple drawing for a purse. No one knew then that this one sketch would grow into a global phenomenon worth billions of dollars, present in more than 60 countries around the world. The missing mouth is no accident — it's a philosophy. Sanrio wanted to create a character not tied to any language, any emotion, any culture. A character onto whom you can project your feelings and always find something of your own in her. What is kawaii as a design philosophy? How did Hello Kitty go from little girls to art and streetwear collectors? And why, half a century later, does this simple, silent face still never go out of style?