What in the LaBuBu?

If you’ve been hiding under a rock lately, you may or may not have noticed a new Gen Z ‘collectible fad’ craze that has popped up and breaking the internet and which has grown adults queuing up for hours on end, scouring websites and quite frankly…losing their minds to purchase a doll to attach and hang like a charm on their luxury handbags.  The trend seemingly contrasts luxury fashion with a less traditionally high-end – but still status-signaling – collectible.

The Labubu doll - a small, toothy and slightly creepy plush doll, has officially entered the chat and has become an unlikely status symbol.  The dolls are made and sold by Pop Mart, a Chinese retailer known for its “blind box” collectibles, which make it so that buyers don’t know which colour or design they’re getting until they open the box. 

Online restocks have earned a cutthroat reputation for selling out immediately and buyers around the world have been known to camp out in front of Pop Mart stores for hours.  In fact, collectible store – The Little Things at Mall of the Emirates in Dubai saw people queue for over an hour at the weekend to get their hands on the hottest (albeit freaky looking) accessory to have right now.  The frenzy has bled into chaos in the United States with Pop Mart stores in Los Angeles needing police presence to control the crowds of people.

Pop Mart is most definitely enjoying it meteoric growth both in China and elsewhere.  In 2024, Labubu’s generated US$410 of Pop Mart’s US$1.8 billion in revenue.  They even seem resilient to the war on tariffs.  While purchasing them from the Pop Mart website has become nearly impossible, resellers on platforms like eBay have seized the opportunity to sell Labubu’s for more than double the original price.

Created in 2015 by Kasing Lung, a Hong Kong-born artist based in Belgium, Labubu is one of “The Monsters,” a group of characters inspired by Nordic mythology in Lung’s children’s book series.  Labubu, according to Pop Mart’s description, is “kind-hearted and aways wants to help, but often accidentally achieves the opposite.”

The craze has been boosted by celebrities such a Rhianna, Dua Lipa, Olivia Atwood and Blackpink’s Lisa, who have been spotted sporting Labubu charms on their handbags. 

But why the hype? How did it come about you may ask? 

It seems nostalgia has a lot to answer regarding this.  Most Labubu collectors grew up in the late 1990’s and early 2000’s when different forms of anime and kawaii imagery was taken over the Eastern media – think Hello Kitty and Pokemon.  While once seen as childish and innocent animations, lots of these franchises cultivated loyal fan bases that endured for decades.  Now, that same cartoon-loving generation has disposable income to spend on whatever brings them happiness. The result – adults buying plush toys that take them back to the ‘good old days’ to momentarily escape the real world. 

The growing phenomenon, often referred to as ‘kidult’ has led brands like Pop Mart to design toys specifically for Millennial and Gen Z buyers.  In addition, the mystery factor of the blind box draws in buyers for that dopamine rush of unboxing a new toy and coming back for more.  Fueling a gambling-like thrill, the small yet satisfying hit of excitement provoked by tearing open the cardboard box taps into people’s inner child.  Unboxing content like the Labubu blind box on TikTok and Instagram encourages creators to keep purchasing these bling-boxes for views – inspiring their audience to do the same. The appeal intensifies with the presence of extremely limited editions, which can only be found by ‘winning’ the bling box lottery.  It’s like a vicious circle of consumerism.

These creepy, impish plush dolls with high-pointed ears and serrated teeth were certainly not the image that came to my mind when I was envisioning the ‘it-accessory’ of summer 2025 but here we are. 

Do you think they will all be shoved at the back of people’s drawers in a couple of months’ time or here to stay? Or until the next ‘toy-trend’ arrives?

Only time will tell.