THE MAN BEHIND THE MADNESS

There's only one thing more impressive than the fashion trend, cultural phenomenon and economic driver that is Labubu— her creator, Hong Kong-born artist Kasing Lung

- Madeleine Mak

We meet Kasing Lung in a place formative to his success story: How2work, a design production house in Hong Kong's Kwun Tong district. Surrounded by display cabinets filled to the brim with figurines of a monster with serrated teeth—one cosplaying as Batman, another furry to the touch, a version decorated with scribbles—the Hong Kong-born artist requests a song by an English rock band before sitting down to reminisce upon the fruits of his creativity.

While you may not recognise Lung's name, it's almost certain you know his beloved Nordic elf, which boasts more than 300 iterations, with more in the pipeline: Labubu. And in the unlikely event you don't know her (yes, it's a she) by name, you'll recognise her as the season's hottest fashion accessory.

The numbers don't lie. In 2024, Pop Mart, which signed an exclusive licensing agreement for the franchise in 2019, reported US$1.8 billion in revenue. Among them, The Monsters series featuring Labubu contributed to more than one-fifth of this revenue alone—and reflects a more than 700 per cent increase on the previous year. Meanwhile, the Tourism Authority of Thailand presented the character with the honorary title of “Amazing Thailand Experience Explorer” as part of the celebrations marking 50 years of diplomatic relations between the country and China.