Hello Kitty ‘Three Apples’ Exhibit Celebrates All Things Hello Kitty For 35th Anniversary

I got updated about Hello Kitty’s 35th Anniversary: Three Apples Event so here is the official press release (in full):

Hello Kitty has long been a muse to artists & designers. In honor of Hello Kitty’s 35th Anniversary celebration, SANRIO, Inc. is bringing an event to the U.S. like nothing America has seen before. ‘Three Apples’ is a multi-dimensional exhibition and celebration of all things Hello Kitty running from October 23 to November 15 that will kick-off with a VIP media event and be followed by unique displays, an art sale for charity and special fan events that will be open to the public, free of charge – all celebrating this beloved pop icon! The celebration, at Royal/T in Culver City, CA, is targeted at Hello Kitty fans of all ages.

‘Three Apples’ (the title is a nod to Hello Kitty superfans’ knowledge of her precise weight listed in her official bio) will take place at Los Angeles’ famed Royal/T, a visually stunning and playful, Japanese-inspired art exhibition space, retail store and café, located within Culver City’s vibrant arts community. Based on the maid café culture in Akihabara, Japan, and infused with L.A. style, Royal/T’s 10,000 square foot space is the perfect setting for this cool, innovative exhibit. In addition to filling Royal/T’s art gallery with one-of-a-kind artwork & products, Hello Kitty will appeal to all the senses of visitors to Royal/T. Guests will be able to sample Hello Kitty shaped food at the maid café, craft their own works of art in the “Hello Kitty Art Corner” and purchase limited edition products created and selected specifically for the event at the Sanrio Pop-Up shop. Here’s a sneak peek at what can be found at ‘Three Apples’:

Hello Kitty Art Show – Contemporary artists Gary Baseman, Ron English, Buff Monster, Camilla d’Errico, Luke Chueh, Deph and Yosuke Ueno are just a few of the 30+ artists that have been invited to interpret their vision of Hello Kitty in one of a kind pieces of art that will be for sale and on display throughout the duration of ‘Three Apples’. The Hello Kitty Art Show will be curated by Jamie Rivadeneira, owner of JapanLA, a Los Angeles boutique that specializes in “cute” Japanese and American products. The participating artists all share a love of Hello Kitty, which will blend with their unique style to show through in their works. A portion of the proceeds from the sale of the art will go to community-based charities.

Hello Kitty Apartment – A living installation to showcase wall the legendary breadth of Hello Kitty product in an apartment-like setting. Taking over the glass walled façade of Royal/T, the apartment will be built to represent a Tokyo apartment. This space, complete with live inhabitants for the duration of the exhibit, will feature wall-to-wall Hello Kitty lifestyle products geared toward teens & young adults, from bedding & kitchenware to a decked out Hello Kitty toilet.

Hello Kitty Product Retrospective – This special piece of the exhibit will showcase iconic Hello Kitty products from her inception in 1974 to present day, including the range of ‘signature’ Hello Kitty items through the years to collaborations with Anna Sui, Dior, M*A*C and tokidoki, among others. Also incorporated in the retrospective will be a vintage Hello Kitty costume display and “Only in Japan”, which will feature some of the more “unique” products that have positioned her as a purveyor of pop culture worldwide, including a moving, talking Hello Kitty robot, bento boxes and the infamous portable massagers.

Exhibit Events – During the course of the three week exhibit at Royal/T, fans of all ages will be invited to special events aimed at celebrating this milestone. Events include a Halloween party, a Japanese cultural day celebration, 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 will be open to the public, free of charge – and will offer something for each one of her fans, no matter their age.

Sanrio Pop-Up Shop – As guests leave ‘Three Apples’, they will be treated to a special pop-up shop inviting fans & collectors to peruse and 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 can take away a piece of the exhibit to commemorate Hello Kitty’s 35th Anniversary!

For continually updated information regarding Hello Kitty’s ‘Three Apples’ exhibit, please visit www.sanrio.com/threeapples.

For more information on Royal/T, please visit www.royal-t.org

Some of my thoughts:

Anything that Jamie from JapanLA is involved in is ALWAYS dope!
I may not be working at all during October 23 – November 15!
Thank goodness this event is in Los Angeles!
This event will be free!
I better save $$$$$ so I can shop like crazy! o_O
Isn’t it great that Sanrio is making Kitty’s 35th Anniversary more about the fans!?
I may be so overwhelmed that I break into tears… So if you see me at Royal/T, just tell me to calm down! n_~
Is it possible to skip September? I wish it was October already!
I hope I get to share this experience with my Hello Kitty Junkies!
Seriously, this is definitely the coolest thing Sanrio has ever done!