Whether you’re strolling down the street or scrolling on TikTok, chances are you’ve come face to face with a trendy Labubu. Thanks to their eerily adorable nature and scarcity, these bag charms from Pop Mart have become one of the most coveted accessories, with boxes selling out on the brands app and TikTok livestreams. They’ve become somewhat of a status symbol themselves, being flaunted around on bags.
These toothy-grinned little monsters that were once a niche collectors item have hit the mainstream, and they’re all over the place now, from children’s backpacks at school to luxury purses towed by celebrities. They’ve even made their way to Fashion Week.
The internet has seen Marc Jacobs’ love story for Labubu unfold before our very eyes, from being gifted by Pat McGrath to attaching it, packaging and all, to his Birkin. At Paris Fashion Week, Balenciaga ambassador Juyeon of The Boyz clipped his bright pink Labubu, Love from the Big Into Energy series, to his Rodeo bag for a pop of color in his outfit. Louis Vuitton ambassador Felix of Stray Kids attached Id, the ultra special “secret” rainbow-toothed tie-dye gray Labubu in the Big Into Energy series to his monogram Keepall bag.
Not everyone At Paris Fashion Week is into Labubus. Actor and singer Romy Mars told Loïc Prigen, "Those things look like they would tickle you in weird places and then run away giggling, and I don’t want them at Chanel.”
On the Louis Vuitton subreddit, the issue of Labubus has deeply divided users. Posts of Louis Vuitton bags paired with Labubu charms earned both praise and mockery. Eventually, there was a complaint that the thread had been overrun with Labubus, rather than Louis. Comments in agreement read, “They are so ugly and why would anyone spend $1000 plus to have an ugly stuffed animal on it?” and “Like putting a bumper sticker on a Ferrari." The moderators of the subreddit made a megathread for “Labubu posts that are not necessarily focused on LV.” They similarly replied to concerns and said standalone posts hating on Labubus will be removed as well.
While some understandably question the sustainability, material, saturation, and longevity of Labubus, it’s become apparent that some simply don’t like the look of them or think they’re up to par with the luxury names they’re next to, even if it is notoriously hard to get a hold of one. But with bag customization offering further opportunity to express oneself, show off personal style, and bond with each other, it doesn’t seem like the trend is going anywhere quite so soon.
It all boils down to preference. This isn’t the first or last time the fashion world will find itself so divided over a trend. Just like tabis, skinny jeans, bloomers, and bandage dresses, Labubus are the newest controversial style. And it won’t be the last. Like everything in fashion, it's up to the wearers’ discretion to decide if a trend is for them or someone else, rather than jumping on every single trend or hate train.
