TOKYO: The flamboyant designer behind Hello Kitty – the cute Japanese character that became a global mega brand – is stepping down after more than four decades in charge of her look. Yuko Yamaguchi has been responsible since 1980 for the design of Kitty, who is officially not a cat but a little girl from London, overseeing her rise to the epitome of Japan’s “kawaii” – cute – soft power.

Yuko Yamaguchi l’ha disegnata per 46 anni

TOKYO: The flamboyant designer behind Hello Kitty – the cute Japanese character that became a global mega brand – is stepping down after more than four decades in charge of her…

Yuko Yamaguchi oversaw the feline character's rise to to global icon status.