TikTok's Labubu Doll Trend, Explained
Close-up detail view of seven Labubu monsters / charms / dolls / plus from "Big Into Energy" collection : Loyalty, Happiness, Luck, Hope, Serenity, Love an Secret, during a street style fashion photo session, on June 12, 2025 in Paris, France. (Photo by) Getty Images
Fuzzy little creatures have taken over TikTok and Instagram with the advent of 2025's unexpected fashion trend, Labubu monster dolls.
Labubu dolls are monsters from a children's book series that leaped into the mainstream, exploding into a trendy fashion accessory and desirable collectible.
There's something familiar about the spiky-toothed Labubu—they bear a slight resemblance to Troll dolls, or even Huggy Wuggy, the cutesy horror icon of YouTube.
Many have pointed out the similarities to the Wild Things of Maurice Sendak's Where the Wild Things Are , which seems appropriate, given that the creatures sprung from a children's picture book.
Labubu first appeared in The Monsters Trilogy by artist Kasing Lung, who based his striking illustrations on figures from Nordic mythology.
Lung moved from Hong Kong to the Netherlands as a child, and sharpened his Dutch by reading regional fairytales, sparking inspiration for his book.
In 2019, Lung struck a licensing deal with Pop Mart, transforming his monsters into collectibles, and eventually inspiring a fashion frenzy.
Lung describes his monster as a mischievous id, saying 'Labubu can do what I want to do, but I don't dare to do it.' Why Are Labubu Dolls So Popular?
Much of the dolls popularity has been credited to Blackpink (and White Lotus ) star Lisa, who has been one of the most prominent Labubu fans, but many celebrities such as Rihanna, Dua Lipa, and Kim Kardashian have been spotted with the dolls.
While celebrities and influencers have boosted the trend, funny memes and TikTok clips catapulted Labubu into virality, turning the dolls into ultra-desirable collectibles, like a monstrous incarnation of Beanie Babies.
All of a sudden, Labubus are everywhere.
The secret sauce to Labubu's popularity might be the 'blind boxes' they are sold in, in which the color of Labubu is revealed only when the doll is unboxed, adding to the excitement of unwrapping a rare figure.
The chance of a randomly distributed rare find is similar to that of video game loot boxes, where the unknowable outcome can fuel additive consumer spending, and has even been compared to the effects of gambling.
Hence, TikTokers are posting comedy sketches of mock-meltdowns, beheading their unwanted dolls after opening another packet and getting an undesirable color.
Some are speculating that the next step is an animated Labubu movie, comparing the monster craze to Pokemon.
The dolls keep being inserted into scenes from The Devil Wears Prada , and melting into the primordial soup of AI-generated Italian Brainrot.
Many TikTok commentators have urged fashionistas to be more original and stop chasing trends for the sake of it (although, that's pretty much how trends work)—people want these dolls because they are popular, and they are popular because people want them.
We've seen the spread of Gremlins , Minions , and now, Labubu—it seems that the appeal of mischievous, diminutive creatures is simply irresistible. MORE FROM FORBES Forbes The Controversial Ending Of Disney's New 'Lilo & Stitch,' Explained By Dani Di Placido Forbes How 'JD Vance Edit' Memes Broke The Internet By Dani Di Placido Forbes The AI-Generated Studio Ghibli Trend, Explained By Dani Di Placido Forbes An Episode Of 'Spongebob' Introduced 'Nosferatu' To Gen Z By Dani Di Placido
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