Sanrio Turns 50, Hello Kitty Finds Inner Bad Girl
Sanrio—the company that brought us Hello Kitty, My Melody and Little Twin Stars—celebrates its 50th anniversary this year. To mark the occasion, Sanrio has announced that it will partner its brands with a handful of collaborators to create special limited-edition collections.
First up is a collaboration with Dr. Martens, maker of the classic punk footwear staple. The Sanrio x Dr. Martens collection debuts in July and includes the classic Dr. Martens eight-hole boot and Mary Jane strap shoes. True to Hello Kitty’s sweeter-than-sweet aesthetic, these Docs are festooned with bows and feature bubble-gum pink and baby-blue soles.
More collaborations are in the works with brands such as Brunswick, Girl Skateboard Co., Aerial7, Lomography, Demeter Fragrance, Mimobots and Build-A-Bear Workshop.
Sanrio is also bulking up its executive ranks with the addition of three key hires to its senior management team. Jill Koch has been promoted to vice president of brand management and marketing, Cindy Elfenbein has been named executive director of retail business development and Linh Forse has been named senior licensing manager. All three will be based out of Sanrio’s Torrance, Calif., headquarters.
Sanrio, which sells 50,000 Sanrio-branded items in more than 70 countries around the world, sells its character-branded products in approximately 12,000 locations in the Western Hemisphere alone.—Erin Barajas
