SEATTLE - The new exhibit at EMP is called Hello! Exploring the Super-Cute World of Hello Kitty.
And it lives up to its name.
"It's a lot of, ‘Oh my gosh, I remember that’ or ‘I can't believe that exists,” said Dave Marchi, VP of Brand Management and Marketing at Sanrio.
The exhibit includes more than 500 vintage and modern items, spanning the four decades of Hello Kitty's existence.
The phenomenon began humbly in 1975, with a single vinyl coin purse that sold for about a dollar in Japan.
There’s a replica of the accessory inside the exhibit.
"There’s only one (original coin purse) that we know of, and it's deep in the vaults of our Tokyo office,” Marchi said.
It's priceless – proving the strength of the brand and the depth of its fandom.
Other parts of the exhibit include products from the 1980’s, fine art, couture fashion made for America's Next Top Model, a Hello Kitty plush dress worn by Lady Gaga, and braces made in the shape of small Hello Kitties.
The exhibit, like the brand, is appropriate for fans “age 4 to forever.” Just make sure you don’t refer to Hello Kitty as a “cat.”
"We at Sanrio don't reference her as a cat, in that she doesn't eat cat food or walk around on all fours or say meow,” Marchi said. "She's a little girl who looks like a cat, but ultimately she's whoever you want her to be."
The exhibit opens to the public on November 14 and runs through May 2016. Products are also available for purchase.
"There's a lot of love for Hello Kitty in Seattle, and we're very excited about that,” Marchi said.
