I’m sure, walking around New York, you have seen one of these things at least once: those things people are putting on their bags that look like a scary Beanie Baby that was possessed by a Teletubby. I am scared of them, yet so intrigued by the obsession. They look like something you could go pick up at a random store for around $20– but some of the prices are upwards of $300. So my question is: What the hell is a Labubu?
The first time I saw a Labubu was on Instagram, and it was a meme of Miranda Priestly pursing her lips at a picture of the Labubu being used as a charm on a Birkin. I immediately reposted it because I was appalled that people were putting something that scary on a $20,000 handbag. I was confused but chose to ignore it– and then it was everywhere. I would walk outside of my apartment in FiDi, and it was like a bunch of these creepy dolls were all staring at me at once.
Labubu is a character that was created by an artist in Hong Kong named Kasing Lung, where they first appeared in his 2015 storybook series “The Monsters”, which was inspired by Nordic Mythology. In 2019, Pop Mart started selling collectables based on Lung’s designs.
It seems to me that the appeal of this demonic-looking creature is the nostalgia and collectors’ obsession with it. This is a very Y2K item, and since everything from Y2K is coming back in full force (a recession indicator), this is just something else to add to that list. As far as collectors’ obsession goes, Labubus comes in a box that you have to unwrap to know what kind you got, so it is people’s obsession with “adding to the collection” and wanting to get all of the different varieties.
I would venture to say that Labubu’s are the mascot of our time in history right now– a little feral, extremely niche, and very strange. People who are online today are always looking for something niche to sink their teeth into, and this seems to be the one for this summer.
I wish I could say that I understand the hype and have a Labubu myself, but I don’t think I can get behind this trend. Labubus on Birkins? I just don’t understand it. I love the trend of charms on bags, but that little monster is not something I would like to see on a bag worth more than my life.
But to each their own. You don’t choose the Labubu life; it chooses you.
What do you think about Labubu’s?
XOXO,
Your Fashion Bestie
