Hey, neat: Hello Kitty just turned 37—she doesn't look a day over 16!—and to celebrate, our favorite white kittenpants is releasing two special collaborations with two favorite companies: Tokidoki and Nooka.
Tokidoki, which means “sometimes” or “once in a while” in Japanese, is not in fact a Japanese-based label—despite the obvious big-eyed, kawaii, colorful aesthetic. Tokidoki is actually the brainchild of Italian artist Simone Legno, producing clothing, accessories, shoes, vinyl toys and more. The company has teamed up with everyone from Karl Lagerfeld, Marvel Levi's and Le Sport Sac to Smashbox, Mimobot and Skull Candy to release special collections—always popular, mind you. For Barbie, Tokidoki released a (stupidly controversial) limited-edition doll: Tattooed up, wearing an off-shoulder black top and leopard-print leggings, sporting a pink bob haircut and walking a pup in a cactus costume, she looks a lot like some gals here in Orange County.
Released on Nov. 1, Tokidoki unleashed its second partnership with Sanrio: The Kitty. Dressed up as . . . a black cactus with rainbow-specked spikes? Hello Kitty stands at the forefront of a plethora of cutesie Tokidoki characters and doodles. Hey, yeah, it doesn't sound like it makes much visual sense, but it's delightful and enduring, and you'll want to throw more money at Hello Kitty X Tokidoki when you see it. However, as with most Tokidoki items, it's not the most affordable. A 15-inch laptop sleeve goes for $55, a handbag goes for $175, and a plushie set (with penguins! PENGUINS!) is $38. Best part? The color scheme isn't overly feminine, with a dominant black-and-white theme. While this new collection doesn't come close to trumping 2008's (Hello Kitty riding a unicorn? How can you top that?), it's still bound to be a sell-out. Visit Sanrio.com to get free shipping off your order of $75 or more—and get a free Tokidoki mug when you enter the code “FREETKDKMUG75″—while supplies last!
The second collection is Nooka X Hello Kitty, a digital-watch line popular with the urban streetwear, sneakerhead sect, that's available in a large variety of colors. The all-white (sans the signature red bow and yellow nose, of course) Nooka X Hello Kitty watch features a Zirc display, complete with a Hello Kitty graphic on a white polyurethane band and goes for $130.
This column appeared in print as “Hello Kitty Is 37!”
