who created hello kitty

Hello Kitty was created by Japanese designer Yuko Shimizu in 1974. She designed the character while working for the Japanese company Sanrio. Hello Kitty first appeared on a small vinyl coin purse in 1975 and quickly became a highly popular and iconic character worldwide. Yuko Shimizu based the name "Kitty" on a cat from Lewis Carroll's "Through the Looking-Glass" and designed Hello Kitty as a symbol of "kawaii" (cute) culture. Despite her immense popularity, Yuko Shimizu left Sanrio two years after creating Hello Kitty to start a family and continued her career as a freelance illustrator.