Hello Kitty Wins — Grumpy Cat Not Happy
Hello Kitty is forty, and still purring loudly. Everyone knows cats win, all cats, but especially soft, pretty, pink kitty cats. And Hello Kitty is the soft, pretty, pink go-to Kitty right now, even winning her way into the men’s t-shirt business. Hello Kitty Men, created by Japanese design studio Nendo, claims to tempt the male brain with images of Kitty’s skeleton, mathematical formulas cleverly arranged to spell Kitty’s name, and various modern art and architecture interpretations printed on T-shirts. Dezeen Magazine posted several photos of the designs.
Hello Kitty is in our food, too. From Japan to California, fans can buy tea, cake, candies, and more, all with Kitty’s face in icing or latte foam peering at them.
The Hello Kitty-themed waffles, cakes and ice-cream at Swensens are super adorable, got to try when it launches. pic.twitter.com/KLJrcYfHMV
— ? (@clairekjmx) January 14, 2015
More creative types can find purr-worthy Kitty recipes to make at home for theme parties or a quiet night with family. And if you’re lucky (and you live in southern California), the Hello Kitty Food Truck may drop by your community. The cuter-than-cute pink truck was most recently seen in Glendale, California, providing happy customers with delicious donuts, ameowzing macarons, and other tantalizing treats — along with a friendly hello!
It’s so popular in southern California, where the truck can be ordered to any location, that Orange County will soon be the site of the first brick and mortar Hello Kitty Cafe in the continental U.S. Managing partner Allan Tea spoke with the LAist when the news was announced.
“He said their main focus will be on cafe-style food: artisan pastries and desserts, as well as savory foods like salads, sandwiches and sliders. They’ll also be serving coffee drinks like espresso.”
There are other Hello Kitty cafes, especially in Asia, where Kitty has always been a beloved character. Shibuya, Japan, has a pop up cafe for the anniversary year, where you can sip on Hello Kitty champagne while you eat, and Hong Kong and Korea offer similar destinations for fans. Taipei boasts the Hello Kitty Sweets where you can indulge in all things pink, sweet, and Kitty pretty.
If you’re in Paris and you’re overcome by sweet Kitty themed cravings, Taiwan’s EVA Air has just the thing. In honor of Kitty’s big birthday, they’ve created the Hello Kitty airplane. Decorated entirely in pink Kitty style, the airplane flies regularly between Paris and Taipei. The flight attendants dress in Hello Kitty costumes, and even the headrests are the right shade of pink.
Fans were also able to pick up a mouthwatering meow mix of sweet treats at the Hello Kitty Cafe that was set up as part of Kitty’s first ever fan convention. The convention, in celebration of Kitty’s fortieth birthday, included photo shoots with Kitty props, shops filled with limited edition collectables and free, specially designed Hello Kitty tattoos.
Grisel Esquivel decided on a wrist tattoo. “I grew up collecting Hello Kitty and being in love with her,” she told AP reporter Sandra Cohen.
But with all the Hello Kitty buzz, how do our other favorite kitty cat celebrities feel?
Grumpy Cat was unavailable for comment.
