Magnet #878 - Hello Kitty, NYCStereotypical of a lot of Asians, we love our Hello Kitty. So when the Sanrio store opened up a few years ago on 42nd Street, I was deeeelighted. I mean, where can get you get such a big smile, for such a low price!
Plus, ya'll know I love cutesy office supplies, and for serious, you can get soooo many cute paper pads and pens at Sanrio.
Then, of course, they went from cutesy Hello Kitty, to doing a theme of HK NYC. Which was kinda cool. Ya know, if you didn't live in NYC. Of course, now I'm wondering if there's a HK LA or ATL or Chicago or Boston. I had to pick this one up, cuz it's my train line.
I'm a little sad, because my cute little Sanrio store has gone several steps further into hoochiemama land, with the Sanrio Luxe boutique luxing her up with more adult clothes with more sophisticated designs. In one sense, they've gone upmarket, but honestly, for me, to give a cartoon a more sexy, more adult look, feels a little over the top - even if the true market for Hello Kitty isn't kids, it's the adults who like the kids' stuff, but want a more adult Hellloooooo Kitty.
Sadly, what I liked was the kids stuff. So, the boutique's alienated me, for sure.
Nevertheless, of course, I still drop by there, in the hopes of picking up some of the still innocent and cute HK kids' stuff. They're still around, you just have to look a little harder, is all.
*Maria Clara is a term that my aunt taught me. It's a traditionally sweet and innocent Filipina girl character from a Jose Rizal book. According to her, they don't exist in the Philippines anymore. Thought that sentiment fitting for Hello Kitty, All Growed Up.
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