Barbie to get Hello Kitty makeover

Hello Kitty will join the ranks of the world's top fashion houses as she dresses up Barbie, bringing together the Japanese and US icons in a limited edition doll.

Hello Kitty will join the ranks of the world's top fashion houses as she dresses up Barbie, bringing together the Japanese and US icons in a limited edition doll. Barbie, who has worn clothes of top brands such as Christian Dior, Donna Karan and Givenchy, will appear in an outfit chosen by Japan's feline sensation, the Japanese toymaker Sanrio said yesterday.

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Barbie, retaining her trademark blonde locks, will have a sexy but cute look in a short leather jacket and a shiny stone-bearing belt hanging loose on skinny black trousers.

The 31-centimeter (12-inch) Barbie doll's jacket, belt, bag and necklace will all bear the famous Hello Kitty image. Hello Kitty Barbie will make her world debut in September and will be released in more than 10 nations including the dolls' home countries of United States and Japan.

The new doll blends "Hello Kitty, now loved by girls and celebrities not only in Japan but also in the world, and Barbie, universally admired by women as a high-fashion avatar of girls' dreams," a Sanrio statement said.

Just 1,500 dolls will be on sale in Japan with a price tag of 5,040 yen (USD 40) each. No worldwide figure was given. Hello Kitty started in Japan in 1974 as a moon-faced cartoon cat on a simple coin purse. The cute cat's image is now known globally, with more than 50,000 different products on sale in 60 nations.