Yuko Shimizu

Yuko Shimizu (Japanese清水 侑 子, Yuko Shimizu, born 1 November 1946 in Chiba Prefecture ) is a Japanese designer and creator of Hello Kitty.

Shimizu, who wanted to be a teacher originally went after graduating from the prestigious Musashino Art University to Sanrio and initially designed for a time different fruits. As CEO Shintaro Tsuji its designers were commissioned to develop animal figures, she opted for a cat, especially inspired by the cat in Alice Through the Looking Glass and Alice in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll. Shimizu experimented with their designs, the cat turned first to the side to show their profile, then back to the front view. After some time of Rumba holiday questions Hello Kitty was finished: a white head twice as large as the body, no mouth, yellow nose, six whiskers, two dots for eyes, staring at the viewer head-on, to a blue jumpsuit and a slightly crooked sitting red bow on her head. Tsuji found the design " not bad ", but would never have dreamed that this cat would one day be Sanrio's most important figure. Shimizu wanted a story about Hello Kitty develop to give a personal touch to the figure, and gave her with Kitty White a " personal " name. The name " Kitty " comes from a kitten in Carroll's Alice Through the Looking Glass, Alice is playing with the beginning of the book.

When Sanrio Shimizu also Happiness Balloon, Koro -chan and Honey -chan created. In 1976 she left Sanrio and has since been working as a freelancer. She created after, inter alia, the characters Angel Cat Sugar and Rebecca Bonbon, but also published several picture books.