Bangkok--29 Sep--Central Department Store
It has been over four decades that Hello Kitty has been stealing the hearts of fans who fell in love with the character and personality of this feisty feline. With constant revamping and collaborations, Hello Kitty has been busy keeping her fan base on the edge of their seats. Which then brings us to Central Department Store's latest venture with internationally acclaimed brand, Sretsis, in transforming Hello Kitty's image into a fashion icon with a cutting edge look while keeping her sweet side all the same. "Hello Kitty, Hello Sretsis" zooms in stores, in both Bangkok and Tokyo, this October with a multitude of products for Hello Kitty loyalist to fawn over!
Tapida Norpanlob, Vice President of Merchandising, Central Department Store further explains how this exciting project came about. Central Department Store has owned the rights for distribution of Sanrio products in Thailand for over thirty years. In the latest project, Central Department Store teams up with Sanrio Japan inviting leading Thai brand, Sretsis, to develop a line of products with a new look, which led to, "Hello Kitty, Hello Sretsis".
"In the past, we used to see Hello Kitty in sweeter looks of soft pastel tones, from pink or red, so we came up with this idea of changing up the image. Diverging from what we did in the past; we wanted to jolt a fun energy and edge to cement Hello Kitty's status as a fashion icon. We feel that Sretsis has been on the forefront of the feminine with a twist concept, and they have acquired international recognition in both Europe and Japan, so we decided to join forces with them on this exciting endeavor! When we pitched this idea to Sanrio Japan, they welcomed it, since Sretsis already has a fan base there."
Tapida continues, "Sretsis proposed the 'Roller Kitty' design for our consideration, and we felt that it was perfect for Hello Kitty. For this collection, Hello Kitty fans will get a glimpse of an edgier more fashionable Kitty, which was a departure from the clothing we have done in the past. We usually did sweeter collections that consisted of t-shirts or polos, but for this collection fans will shop for fashion forward items along with a multitude of products in the same concept."
Pimdao Sukhahuta, Creative Director and Founder of Sretsis, declares that Hello Kitty in Sretsis' perception is a global fashion icon already having collaborated with leading brands from Colette, MAC Cosmetics, and Liberty of London. She states, "when we got the invitation from Central Department Store to design this new collection for Hello Kitty, we were overjoyed and excited about this challenge. After thorough research on Hello Kitty, we decided to focus on her status as a fashion icon and bring out her sassy, fun, and playful character for all her fans to see! Which is how we came up with the name 'Hello Kitty, Hello Sretsis' and the logo, which mocks this moniker with Hello Kitty popping up and greeting everyone from the Sretsis black and white logo. "
"The 'Roller Kitty' print was a mash up of Hello Kitty's playful character with Sretsis' signature 'Roller Stripes' print from our Spring/Summer 2015 'The Runaway Rum' collection. Showcasing the friendship of Hello Kitty and her close boy friend 'Tippy', who has a crush on Kitty, as they sneak out on an adventure to the roller skating rink with Kitty's constant sidekick the teddy bear, 'Tiny Chum'. This collection consists of t-shirts, club jackets, leggings, scarves, Hello Kitty plush dolls complete with roller skates, an exclusively designed satchel to name a few. Other items include hats, towels, water thermos, folders, and stationary along with other collectables that Hello Kitty fans cannot miss," states Pimdao.
Find a great selection of products from "Hello Kitty, Hello Sretsis" from October 8th, 2015 onwards at Sanrio section, all Central Department Stores and ZEN, or click on to www.central.co.th for online shopping. Other stockists include Siwilai, 5th Fl, Central Embassy, and for the first time in Japan at Sretsis' multi-brand store, Sretsis Inn, Minami-Aoyama, Tokyo.