Yuko Shimizu (清水 侑子, Shimizu Yūko, born 1 November 1946) is the Japanese designer who created Hello Kitty.
Yuko Shimizu | |
|---|---|
 Shimizu at Japan Expo 2010 | |
| Born | November 1, 1946 Kyoto, Japan |
Early life
editShimizu was born in Kyoto, Japan, on November 1, 1946. She attended Musashino Art University, and joined Sanrio after graduation.
Career
editIn 1973, Shimizu designed the first original Sanrio character, Coro Chan.[1]
Hello Kitty
editIn 1974 Shimizu made the original design for Hello Kitty, whose fictional birthdate is November 1, the same as Shimizu's.[2][3] Hello Kitty is Sanrio's most successful and best known character. Shimizu based her name on Alice's black 'Kitty' from Through the Looking-Glass. Hello Kitty was designed to be a kawaii (cute) symbol to be used on merchandise.[2][3][4] In 1975, the design made her debut in Japan with her image on a coin purse.[2][3]
Sanrio has said Hello Kitty has no mouth because she "speaks from the heart" and that she is "Sanrio's ambassador to the world who isn't bound to one certain language."[5]
After Sanrio
editShimizu left Sanrio in 1976 to get married and has been working as a freelance designer ever since. She did not make a lot of money from Hello Kitty.[6]
The other characters she has created include Angel Cat Sugar and Rebecca Bonbon.[7] She has also published some picture books.
References
edit- ^ "巻頭大特集 サンリオが大好き!/キキ&ララ・マイメロディ 40周年記念". MOE. Vol. 438, no. April 2016. Hakusensha. 2016. p. 23.
- ^ a b c Kageyama, Yuri; Leff, Lisa (1 November 2024). "At 50, Hello Kitty is as 'kawaii' and lucrative as ever". Associated Press. Archived from the original on 4 November 2024. Retrieved 15 November 2024.
- ^ a b c "'I created Hello Kitty'". BBC. 28 June 2024. Archived from the original on 16 August 2024. Retrieved 15 November 2024.
- ^ Chuang, Tamara (15 November 2004). "Mom, Apple Pie and Kitty". St. Petersburg Times. Retrieved 15 November 2024.
- ^ "Sanrio character info: Hello Kitty". www.sanrio.com. November 2005. Archived from the original on 24 November 2005. Retrieved 15 November 2024.
- ^ Dennis, Alicia Diaz (December 11, 2008). "Fashion Influential #95: Yuko Shimizu". Zimbio. Archived from the original on 2009-03-18.
- ^ Yannetta, Tiffany (July 26, 2011). "Hello Kitty Creator's Latest Character Is a French Bulldog in NYC". Racked.
External links
edit
- The Official Hello Kitty Website
- The Official Rebecca Bonbon Website[permanent dead link]
- The Official Angel Cat Sugar Website
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