Hello Kitty: Origin Of Sanrio's '70s Phenom (Who Isn't A Cat)

Source: Wikimedia Commons

Who's British, loves apple pie, and looks like a cat but is actually a pre-teen girl and definitely isn't a cat? Clearly it's Hello Kitty, the Japanese character created by Yuko Shimizu and "born" on November 1, 1974, that anchors Sanrio's line of clothing, jewelry, and pretty much anything else that can be branded. Hello Kitty is so much more than a well performing brand, she's a icon of Japanese fashion that's become a global sensation thanks to an early '90s resurgence that turned a simple character into one of the highest-grossing media franchises in the world.