MASTERCLASS IN MARKETING

What’s more revealing than the Labubu’s sudden ubiquity, however, is how perfectly it illustrates a familiar human impulse: herd mentality

- Tejashee Kashyap

Honestly, I still can’t wrap my head around the obsession with Labubus.

Sometime around March or April, I suddenly saw the odd little creature breaking the internet, dangling from people's bags everywhere. With rabbit-like fur and ears, serrated catlike teeth, and mischievous eyes set unusually far apart, Labubu is hard to miss. And yet, shockingly, it remains one of 2025's most coveted collectables.

Although the character was first introduced in 2015, it didn’t truly skyrocket in popularity—especially across Asia and within Asian communities—until it collaborated with Chinese toy giant Pop Mart in 2019. Created by Hong Kong artist Kasing Lung and sold globally by Chinese toymaker Pop Mart, Labubu has grown from a niche art toy to a cultural phenomenon. It is plastered across social media feeds, spotted dangling from luxury handbags, and resold online for sums that would make even seasoned sneakerheads wince.

Status icon in making

Labubu’s origin story is unassuming. Lung designed the character years ago, inspired by fairy tales and Scandinavian folklore. Its crooked grin, pointed ears, and offbeat charm stood apart from the conventional ‘kawaii’ aesthetic of Asian toys.