How Labubu became a monster of a business
Caixin
Monetizing a tale of furry female forest elves at least as old as the dinosaurs
The auctioneer congratulates the winning bidder for a Labubu figurine at Yongle International Auction in Beijing on June 10. © Reuters
WANG XINTONG, FENG YIMING and ZOU XIAOTONG, Caixin
Labubu is a little doll in fleecy, bunny-eared onesies whose coffee-bean eyes hover above a serrated row of smiling teeth. Ostensibly an elf, the creature is either cute or creepy, depending on whom you ask. But one thing is clear -- it has become a monster of a business.
The dolls have been caught on camera with celebrities such as Rihanna and K-pop superstar Lisa, typically dangling from the strap of a designer bag. Their popularity has propelled the stock of the owner, trendy toy retailer Pop Mart International Group, up more than 180% this year.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Japan Today
7 hours ago
- Japan Today
Irish hip-hop trio Kneecap play Glastonbury despite calls for ban
FILE PHOTO: Irish rap group Kneecap perform on stage at the Fairview Park music festival, in Dublin, Ireland, June 19, 2025. REUTERS/Clodagh Kilcoyne/File Photo By Paul Sandle and Kristian Brunse Irish hip-hop group Kneecap played to a huge crowd at Glastonbury Festival on Saturday despite criticism by British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and pressure from some in the music industry to pull the gig. Frontman Liam O'Hanna, whose stage name is Mo Chara, was charged with a terrorism offence last month for allegedly displaying a flag in support of Iran-backed militant group Hezbollah at a concert in November. He denied the charge. Starmer told the Sun newspaper this month it was "not appropriate" for Kneecap, who rap in Irish and English, to appear at Glastonbury. With the outdoor arena at full capacity and scores of Palestinian flags waving in the blazing sun, the Northern Irish trio took to the West Holts stage at the festival in southwest England on Saturday. Festival-goer Greg Robertson, 30, said: "I don't think politicians should really have too much of an impact on a weekend where everyone's trying to have fun and trying to maybe create a more optimistic future." Sara Majid, 29, said she liked what Kneecap stood for. "I'm intrigued by them," she said. Opposition leader Kemi Badenoch had said the BBC, which broadcasts the festival, should not show Kneecap, and 30 music industry bosses asked organisers to pull the band from the line-up, according to a letter leaked by DJ Toddla T, cited by the Guardian newspaper. In response, more than 100 musicians have signed a public letter in support of the group. Kneecap's manager, Dan Lambert, said the group had expected calls for the performance to be cancelled. "We knew that the biggest pressure would come on Glastonbury because Glastonbury's an institution," he told Reuters, adding that it had not been an issue for organisers. "We didn't bring it up and they didn't bring it up," he said. "They treated us professionally." Organiser Emily Eavis said on Wednesday the festival was a platform for artists from all over the world, adding that "everyone is welcome here". The footage of O'Hanna displaying the flag came to light after the trio projected pro-Palestinian messages on stage at the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival in California in April, ending with: "F... Israel. Free Palestine." Kneecap, whose other members have the stage names Móglaí Bap and DJ Próvaí, have said they do not support Hamas or Hezbollah. O'Hanna said on Friday the group were "playing characters" on stage, and it was up to the audience to interpret their messages. © Thomson Reuters 2025.
.JPG%3Fwidth%3D780%26fit%3Dcover%26gravity%3Dfaces%26dpr%3D2%26quality%3Dmedium%26source%3Dnar-cms%26format%3Dauto&w=3840&q=100)
Nikkei Asia
2 days ago
- Nikkei Asia
Lalo Schifrin, composer of the 'Mission: Impossible' theme, dies at 93
Lalo Schifrin accepts his honorary Oscar in 2018, calling it a dream come true and saying, "It is mission accomplished." © Reuters (AP) -- Lalo Schifrin, the composer who wrote the endlessly catchy theme for "Mission: Impossible" and more than 100 other arrangements for film and television, died Thursday. He was 93. Schifrin's sons William and Ryan confirmed his death to trade outlets. The Associated Press' messages to Schifrin's publicist and representatives for either brother were not immediately returned.
Kyodo News
6 days ago
- Kyodo News
"My Hero Academia: Vigilantes" Official Climax Trailer Released! Featuring ED Theme "Speed" and Numerous New Cuts
By TK Ogawa, Animate Times - 23 minutes ago - 18:43 | All In anticipation of Episode 12, which marks "My Hero Academia: Vigilantes" story's climax, a new trailer has been released. This video features numerous new cuts and is set to the ED theme "Speed" by yutori. The PV showcases intense action scenes from Episode 11, where father and daughter, Knuckleduster and Kuin Hachisuka, engage in a fierce battle while confronting their true feelings. It also features live performance scenes by the special unit "FeatherHATS," comprising Pop☆Step (voiced by Ikumi Hasegawa) and FeatherS members Miu (voiced by Ayana Taketatsu) and Yuu (voiced by Sayumi Suzushiro). Set to the ED theme "Speed," the video is an emotional and captivating preview of what's to come. Episode 12, titled "Goodbye to Dad," will reveal the conclusion of both the Narufest event and the battle between Knuckleduster and Kuin Hachisuka. It's scheduled to air on Monday, June 23rd (Japan Time), with streaming available on Crunchyroll! The TV anime adaptation of "My Hero Academia: Vigilantes," an official spin-off of "My Hero Academia," is currently airing every Monday (Japan Time). "My Hero Academia: Vigilantes" OFFICIAL CLIMAX TRAILER
