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This past year, a new craze swept popular culture garnering the love and praise of both children and adults, and love them or hate them, Labubus have raised not just their little ears, but their status on the public consciousness.
On the surface, Labubus are mostly known as plush toys known to be sold out both in stores and online. Labubu, which is the brainchild of illustrator and designer Kasing Lung, represents the apex of collecting designer toys.
Born in Hong Kong, Lung and his family emigrated to the Netherlands during his childhood, where he was influenced by Nordic mythology and folklore which later inspired the creation of the Labubus.
In 2015, Lung created the book series called “The Monsters” where the Labubu character would make its first appearance. The character itself is a mischievous female, but underneath her whimsical personality she possesses a good heart.
Following the launch of his book series, Lung partnered with the Chinese toy company POP MART in 2019, which has since become the main producer of Labubu toys.
Made famous in part by celebrities like Lisa from Blackpink, Rihanna, Dua Lipa, and Kim Kardashian who have all been seen with a Labubu, helped make the toy become an overnight sensation.
Due to the success of these collectables, Wang Ning, the CEO of POP MART is now one of the richest men in China and Labubu is now POP MART’s signature character.
You don’t have to travel far to check out POP MART. Not far from Queens College is a pop-up shop at the Tangram Mall, located in Flushing, Queens. Purchasing a legitimate Labubu isn’t cheap as POP MART releases timed series launches in blind box formats. For example, the Big Into Energy series V3 retail price for a single blind box starts at $27.99. An entire set goes for $167.99.
For those who don’t know, opening a blind box is part of the thrill which adds an element of surprise. For a time, getting an official Labubu wasn’t easy since the demand was greater than the supply, adding to the hype. This scarcity has resulted in the rise of the reseller market, and the risk of getting scammed with a “Lafufu”, aka a fake. Between the concepts of the blind boxes and limited-time designer toys, POP MART has been able to position itself favorably among consumers.
But just as we’ve seen in the past, the fate of Labubus could be similar to Cabbage Patch Kids dolls in the 1980s, or the Tamagotchi devices in the 1990s. On the flip side, the Labubu character itself is starting to outgrow from its initial origin as Labubus is becoming its own entity. Just in the past year, anti-ICE protesters have been seen wearing Labubu costumes, there’s been Labubu-themed raves, and on Etsy there are sellers producing knockoff, handcrafted Labubu clothing.
To many people, Labubus may offer a sense of comfort sparking imagination, creativity, and providing a temporary escape. For many outcasts, fandoms have become a place of safety, acceptance, and belonging, and the Labubu craze is no different. Given the climate of 2025, Labubu represents bringing people together – even if it’s material.
