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

- By Madeleine Mak Photography by Kiu Ka Yee

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 rabbit-eared 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 English rock band Oasis 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 or will have heard about fans getting into physical fights in their quest to score one of the viral toys from Pop Mart, the collectible toy store and official supplier.

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. More than one fifth of this comes from the sales of Labubu-related merchandise alone—and reflects a more than 700 per cent increase on the previous year. Meanwhile, the Tourism Authority of Thailand made the character an ambassador as part of the celebrations marking 50 years of diplomatic relations between the country and China.