Most people recognise Hello Kitty from the many products upon which her image features, and it is fair to say, that it is a common conception to believe that the image originates from a cartoon TV series, and while it is true to say that an animated cartoon exists, it came after the popularity of a particular product.
In 1974, Sanrio, a Japanese manufacturer selling various products, from celebration cards, to purses, commissioned a young man to design a cartoon character, which was to appear upon a vinyl purse. He was given the instruction to create an image that would appear to young, pre-adolescent, girls. The result was Hello Kitty.
Twin Bedding Collections
There is much information online about the origins of Kitty, but less about the overall personality of the character produced, there is much more to her than a simple trademark. Here we will discuss some little known, but interesting facts, about the kitten behind the iconic image.
In her own world, Kitty is English, born to parents Mary White and George White. She was born and raised in the London Suburbs, where she lives with her parents and her twin sister, Mimmy. There are also grandparents, Anthony and Margret White.
Kitty's real name is Kitty White, the trademark name Hello Kitty, is simply a nickname. It is easy to spot Kitty from her identical twin sister, as they wear different coloured clothing and bows in their hair. Minny normally sports a yellow bow, whereas Kitty usually wears a red bow. They have many friends where they live, including the much known, and well-loved, Cathy - who is also a frequent addition to many of the Sanrio products, and who most people will recognise as Kitty's best friend.
In terms of the type of personality Kitty has, the Sanrio website has some interesting information. Apparently, she is a home-child sort of kitten, is kind, happy, and warm-hearted. Her hobbies include cooking, of which her greatest achievement is her cookies - although, apparently, nothing compares to a nice warm slice of her Mothers apple pie. She loves all things small and cute, but especially favours gold fish. She is currently in the third grade, which is equivalent to year 4 in the UK. Her blood group is A, and she weighs three apples, and stands around five apples tall. All this information can be found on the official Sanrio website.
Kitty is an extremely versatile character, she wears a plethora of different clothing in all styles imaginable, from retro punk, to modern chic, and it is not unusual to see her dressed in extremely funky clothing. Indeed, it can be said, that Kitty is a fashion icon unto herself, even having her own fashion line, with many different items, ranging from slippers to jumpers.