The sugary sweet white anime cat that has bewitched generations of young girls will now be used on products geared at young males.
Sanrio company spokesman Kazuo Tohmatsu believes men are ready to accept the Hello Kitty line as a legitimate fashion statement. The T-shirts, bags, and watches will go on sale in Japan next month, with US and other Asian cities are expected to follow suit.
For the men's line, the familiar bubble-shaped cat's head has taken on a more rugged look to appeal to guys in their teens and early twenties. I can see how. The $36 black men's tee has a picture of a cat stamped with the brand's trademark phrase, “Hello Kittyâ€.
An undisputed icon of Japanese “kawaii†(cute) culture, Sanrio has stamped its white cat logo on everything from erasers to $48,000 diamond necklaces.
What Makes This Trend Stand Out
- Gender-neutral Fashion
- The Hello Kitty men's line shows a growing trend towards less gender-specific fashion.
- Crossover Fashion
- The Hello Kitty men's line showcases the potential for crossover collaborations between traditionally gendered brands.
- Cultural Icon Resurgence
- The popularity of the Hello Kitty brand for both male and female audiences shows the potential for nostalgic cultural icons to make innovative comebacks.
Sectors Adopting This
- Fashion
- The introduction of a Hello Kitty men's line shows a potential for gender-neutral fashion in many clothing industries.
- Jewelry
- The Hello Kitty brand's success in licensing products (like $48,000 diamond necklaces) shows a lucrative opportunity for innovation in jewelry industries.
- Marketing and Branding
- Learning from Sanrio's success in promoting the Hello Kitty brand could inspire innovative marketing and branding strategies for a wide range of industries.
