Yuko Yamaguchi ( Yamaguchi Y?ko?, born October 24) is a Japanese character designer, who is also known as the third Hello Kitty designer.
Yamaguchi was born in K?chi, K?chi, Japan. She attended Joshibi University of Art and Design where she studied industrial design. After graduating in 1978, Yamaguchi joined Sanrio. She was appointed as the third Hello Kitty designer in 1980.
Yamaguchi has collaborated with many artists and designers, including X Japan, Nigo, Balzac, Shoko Nakagawa, Paul Frank, Aly & AJ, and Anna Sui. Yamaguchi is also a creative director and member of the board of directors of Sanrio.
Did you ever imagine that Hello Kitty would be big worldwide? Maya Castro, Miami No, not at all. When I started I didn’t even know whether she would sell in Japan. I was told that Hello Kitty was only for children and that Westerners wouldn’t carry her around.
Why doesn’t Hello Kitty have a mouth? Sandi Saksena, Dubai It’s so that people who look at her can project their own feelings onto her face, because she has an expressionless face. Kitty looks happy when people are happy. She looks sad when they are sad. For this psychological reason, we thought she shouldn’t be tied to any emotion — and that’s why she doesn’t have a mouth.
Why is Hello Kitty from London and not somewhere in Japan? Courtney Bower, Des Moines, Iowa When Hello Kitty was created, many girls in Japan had read Alice in Wonderland and adored Britain. Also, there were other characters [created by my company Sanrio] who were supposed to have been born and raised in the U.S., so Kitty was born in London as a way of differentiating her.
How do you continue to be fresh without losing the essence of Hello Kitty? Jo-Anne Sears, Yorktown, Va. Trends are the key — what colors and what motifs are in. If roses are in fashion, then I think of rose designs. I have to be able to predict more or less what is coming.
Why do so many adults love Hello Kitty? Sarah Dwider, Westfield, N.J. People around the world often say that when they were children they couldn’t afford Hello Kitty, so they started to buy her when they earned money as adults. It’s not that they all of a sudden discovered Kitty.
