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The world's first Hello Kitty Convention in Little Tokyo that kicked off today featured more Hello Kitty swag and panels and even tattoos than you could shake one of those cool but useless bendy pencils they used to sell at Sanrio. But the real stars of the convention were the fans. There were cute little babies, young ladies who wouldn't have been out of place at the Electric Daisy Carnival and, hey, even some men dressed in their Sanrio best.
The first place winner of the costume contest was Maritsa Rivera, who dressed up in a yellow dress with a pink fro like the disco diva Hello Kitty doll she bought in New York City in 2010. She made quite a journey to the convention: "I came with my girlfriend all the way from Florida for this event so it's a big deal for us."
LAist writer Jean Trinh contributed to this post from the field
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Sanrio's Shocking Reveal: Hello Kitty Is NOT A Cat
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Photos: Los Angeles' Hello Kitty Food Scavenger Hunt Is Now In Full Swing
