My name is Larissa, and I am an avid Hello Kitty fan in my mid-thirties. Like many people, I started off small—a cute comb and mirror set I received in the mid-1980s from Kimberly, my cool, older cousin. I’d pick up a pencil case or a toy here and there, but nothing out of control. In high school, I flirted with collecting Badtz-Maru (Sanrio’s mischievous penguin character) items, but I just kept coming back to my first love, Hello Kitty.

By then, her adorable empire had expanded beyond stationery and toys to include clothing, jewelry, and my personal weakness, kitchen appliances. By my senior year of college, I had acquired the waffle iron, toaster, sandwich iron, and the jewel of my kitchen, the pink Hello Kitty microwave. Lest you think the Hello Kitty kitchen appliances are mere toys, all of mine are still functioning perfectly a decade later. (And my charming husband is amazingly tolerant of them.)

My 30th birthday party had a Hello Kitty theme. I baked pink cupcakes and wore a pink metallic Hello Kitty tiara, while my ever indulgent friends all donned Hello Kitty party hats. (And my fabulous friend Liz got me a sparkly pink Hello Kitty telephone!)

Hello Kitty Cupcake Tree

My bridal shower featured a Hello Kitty cake. At my wedding, I carried a silver metallic Hello Kitty clutch with a Hello Kitty mirror and blotting papers inside, from Sephora.

So, as you can see, my love of all things Hello Kitty runs deep. Imagine my excitement when Hanky Panky and Sanrio decided to collaborate on a collection of undies! You could probably hear my squeal of joy within a 5 mile radius of Hanky Panky’s office.

A delicious (and adorable) Hello Kitty blueberry pie that my dear friend Anne made for me.

Naturally, there was no dispute about which designer would be working on this project. I probably would have cried if Hanky Panky gave this job to one of my colleagues.

I got hooked up with Sanrio’s amazing design team, and started designing my dream undies! Like all collaborations, there was a bit of back and forth. We needed to make sure that the finished line would be true to both of our brands. The designers at Sanrio were great to work with. Luckily, both our brands have similar chic yet girly outlooks, so the collaboration worked out beautifully.

I am so beyond proud of Hanky Panky for Hello Kitty’s debut collection. The positive response from press and the blogosphere has been thrilling! Here’s a peek at the collection, which will be available at HankyPanky.com on May 25th, and Sanrio.com a month later. I can’t wait to get my own set!

–Larissa

Hanky Panky for Hello Kitty(R) Babydoll, $98.

Hanky Panky for Hello Kitty(R) Camisole, $63 and Boyshort, $43.

Hanky Panky for Hello Kitty(R) Bralette, $56 and Low Rise Thong, $27.

Hanky Panky for Hello Kitty(R) Camisole, $63 and Low Rise Thong, $27.

Hanky Panky for Hello Kitty(R) Camisole, $66 and Boyshort, $43.

Hanky Panky for Hello Kitty(R) Chemise, $82

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