LOS ANGELES — Marty Garrett and Salumeh Eslamieh met and bonded over a little white cat (or a little girl with kitty ears and whiskers, if you prefer), and will be traveling to Los Angeles this week to celebrate Helly Kitty’s 40th birthday at Hello Kitty Con, a four-day festival dedicated to all things Kitty.
The married couple turned the garage of their San Francisco home into a permanent showroom for their vast Hello Kitty collection.
“This is the first time there has ever been a fan convention of this kind,” Sanrio spokesman Dave Marchi said. “It’s the only one happening anywhere in the world.”
And it’s already sold out. More than 25,000 fans are expected. An exhibition at the neighboring Japanese American National Museum, “Hello! Exploring the Supercute World of Hello Kitty,” will continue through April 26.
The event will include hands-on workshops, where attendees can try scrapbooking, cake decorating, jewelry making and other Kitty-themed craft projects.
