During the pandemic, amikitty knitted a plush version of her own cat. When she posted it on Facebook, friends began requesting their own pets — nearly a hundred of them. That's when she thought, "I want to make whatever I like," and began stitching faces. From that came the little girls she makes today.
Each charm is about 9 cm tall, made to hang on a phone or bag, and every one is one of a kind. Their personalities take shape as she works — "this one would look great in New York," "this one holds a guitar, definitely punk." She sometimes consults AI for the backdrop and story, like a "school festival hero" or a hungry girl in an American diner. By day she's a graphic designer, so coming up with designs comes naturally.
Customers tend to choose the girl who resembles them, and many buy them as gifts or come back for more. Each charm arrives in a box with a photo.
Her roots are in caring for animals. She lived through both the Great Hanshin and Tohoku earthquakes and has long wanted to help. She began by donating half the price of each plush to animal shelters. She feels that adopting from shelters is still uncommon in Japan, and hopes her dolls might remind people of that.
In Japan, her work is sold through minne and Instagram DMs; overseas, through Gallery AGITO. She'll next appear at the Shibuya Flea Market on November 8 (Sunday).
