Smiling is practically a reflex, an involuntary facial spasm, when exposed to the joy that constitutes the DNA of every collectible toy, art print, tee, sticker, USB drive, desk trinket, and home accent created by Miami-based art collective FriendsWithYou. Colorful characters shaped like bowling pins, Russian Matryoshka nesting dolls, awkward oversize penguins, and juicy burgers perpetually beam their charming smiles and show off the polka dots, Life Saver-esque rings, and vertical stripes covering their bodies. Bearing names like Malfi, Mr. TTT Burger, Buddy Chub, Mr. Phantom, and Super Malfi, these quirky scoundrels navigate through a magical universe filled with happy clouds, trippy rainbows, Super Mario-esque mushrooms, giant red-and-white lollipops, and picturesque homes with drawn-on faces. If you extracted aesthetic elements from Pee-Wee's Playhouse, Super Mario's Mushroom Kingdom, Candyland, Scooby Doo's Mystery Machine Van, and Twister, then blended them all together, the final recipe would be but the appetizer before the delicious entree that is the FriendsWithYou world. Oddly enough, even for us cynical New Yorkers, this psychedelic, über bright, exuberant dimension never feels annoyingly happy — it's almost as if these oddball characters are in on a mischievous secret that we become privy to when we immerse ourselves in the FriendsWithYou experience.
Given that the FriendsWithYou mission is to provide a message of Magic, Luck and Friendship through art, the company's compatibility with Sanrio is undeniable. After all, Sanrio has earned worldwide acclaim by introducing a lovable gang of characters with unique personalities, relatable back stories, and ebullient lifestyles — among them Hello Kitty, Keroppi, Chococat, and TuxedoSam.
The stellar FriendsWithYou x Sanrio "Wish Come True for Hello Kitty" collection launching today serves as proof of the type of magic that can be unleashed when two like-minded creative powerhouses join forces. The whimsical collection incorporates fashion accessories (from a tote bag with bow-adorned shoulder straps to a zip-top coin purse with a key chain ring), luggage (check out the sky blue carry-on after the jump), desk accessories (journals, pencils, and snow globes), plush toys, tech accessories (like a laptop sleeve and an iPhone 4 case), and kid-friendly knickknacks like metal key chains, laminated pencil cases, metal lunchbox and refillable aluminum water bottles.
We're loving the 12-inch Hello Kitty plush toys (particularly the "Rainbow King" design, in which Hello Kitty is shown wearing a Super Malfi-like helmet), the 13" printed neoprene laptop case pictured above (valued at $45), and the adorable coin purse shown last above (priced at $20). But, as the name suggests, this co-branded collection is a wish come true for anyone with a child-like imagination and an appetite for joy.
Make sure to visit Sanrio.com and FriendsWithYou.com to shop the collection and check out more images after the jump.
