Hello Kitty has graced everything from coin purses, erasers, and gum, to toasters, couture, and diamond jewelry. She has long been a muse to artists & designers worldwide and has brought smiles to fans for 35 years. In honor of her 35th Anniversary celebration, Sanrio was proud to bring an event to the U.S. like nothing America has seen before!
Three Apples was a multi-dimensional exhibition and celebration of all things Hello Kitty. The three week celebration kicked-off with a VIP event, followed by a residence at Royal/T cafe / shop / art space in Culver City, CA. Three Apples was open to the public, free of charge and featured an art exhibition, unique product and design displays, a one-of-a-kind shop, and special events for fans of all ages – all celebrating Hello Kitty!
Hello Kitty gallery of contemporary artists and Hello Kitty fans including Gary Baseman, Ron English, Buff Monster, Camilla d’Errico, Luke Chueh, Deph and Yosuke Ueno – just a few of the 60+ artists that interpreted their vision of Hello Kitty in one-of-a kind pieces on display. A portion of the proceeds from the sale of the art was donated to L.A. Works -a nonprofit, volunteer action center that creates and implements hands-on community service projects throughout the greater Los Angeles area.
Taking over the glass walled facade of Royal/T, the Hello Kitty apartment featured wall-to-wall Hello Kitty products in a living installation showcasing the legendary breadth of Hello Kitty products in action!
Taking a walk down memory lane and exploring the future at the same time, this special exhibition showcased iconic Hello Kitty products since her inception in 1974 to present day. Guests enjoyed the range of ‘signature’ vintage and classic Hello Kitty items through the years along with collaborations with Betsey Johnson, Heatherette, Paul Frank, M*A*C, tokidoki. The “Only in Japan” section will featured some of the more “unique” products that you might not have seen before (at least in person!) including a moving, talking Hello Kitty robot, the Eva Air jet, bento boxes and much more!
During the course of the three week celebration, fans of all ages were invited to special events including a Halloween party, Hello Kitty breakfasts, movie nights screening live action Hello Kitty & Friends features straight from Japan, Japanese underground “cosplay” costume events, special appearances and signings by Hello Kitty creators and of course, a Hello Kitty birthday party on November 1! All events were open to the public, free of charge – and offered something for each one of her fans, no matter their age.
The Three Apples pop-up shop for never-seen-before Hello Kitty products including limited edition prints, Japanese imported goods, special Hello Kitty 35th Anniversary collections and of course, Three Apples souvenir merchandise. Everyone could take away a piece of the exhibit to commemorate Hello Kitty’s 35th Anniversary!
