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Labubu
Brand of collectible plush toys From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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Labubu (Chinese: 拉布布) is a brand of collectible plush toy monster elves created by Hong Kong designer Kasing Lung (Chinese: 龍家昇[2]) and marketed by and sold exclusively at China-based retailer Pop Mart.[3][4][5][6] Labubu is also the name of the main character in the series.[7]
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History
Labubu began as a character designed by Kasing Lung (1972–),[1] a Hong Kong–born artist raised in the Netherlands. Labubu was part of Lung's story series The Monsters, which was influenced by Nordic folklore[8][9] and mythology that he enjoyed during his childhood.[5]
Labubu was first introduced in 2015,[5] with "Monsters" figurines produced by the company How2Work;[1] the toy gained wider recognition in 2019 following a collaboration with Pop Mart.[3][10] This partnership boosted Labubu's popularity among collectors.
Design
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Labubus are described as having a playful yet slightly fierce look, featuring round, furry bodies, wide eyes, pointed ears,[11] and nine sharp teeth that form a mischievous smile.[4][9] Aside from Labubu herself, other figures also belong to a "tribe" called "The Monsters", including the characters Mokoko, Pato, Spooky, Tycoco (Labubu's "skeleton-looking" boyfriend),[12] and Zimomo (the leader of the Monsters, with a spiked tail).[13][10][6] The dolls have been produced with a variety of appearances.[4][6][14]
Labubu figures are often sold in blind boxes, collected into themed lines, which contain a toy chosen at random from that series.[15] Series often contain a rare "secret" figure in addition to the designs advertised.[16]
The first Labubu key-ring line, titled "Exciting Macaron" (Chinese: 心动马卡龙), was released in October 2023.[6] Other collections include "Fall in Wild", the seven-figurine "Have a Seat" (Chinese: 坐坐派对) line,[16] and "Big into Energy" (Chinese: 前方高能系列).[6]
Pop Mart has also collaborated with various brands, producing a Coca-Cola-themed winter blind box series of eleven Labubus in late 2024[17] and a 13-figurine line of The Monsters re-imagined as characters from the manga and anime One Piece in early 2025.[18] Other figures have been released exclusively at various museums,[16] such as the "Labubu's Artistic Quest" series sold at Pop Mart's store at the Louvre in Paris.[19]
Reception
The toy gained widespread attention in April 2024 after K-pop group Blackpink member Lisa was spotted with a keychain Labubu on her bag.[3][20] This sparked a trend that quickly contributed to its growing recognition in Thailand and other parts of Southeast and East Asia.[7][4]
Pop Mart's 2024 interim report, released on August 20, stated that the line generated sales of 6.3 billion Chinese yuan (approximately US$870 million) in the first half of the year.[11]
See also
References
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