Microtrends, short-lived trends influenced by social media, are meaningless as they only serve to boost the ego of users with a ‘limited edition’ item that wasn’t even worth it besides for bragging rights.
Labubus are no exception to the definition. Labubus were a sort of unknown item before 2024, but even then, sales were booming in the millions for POP MART in 2020.
Labubus exploded in popularity in Summer 2024 when sales went through the roof in millions, which was reported by POP MART. Labubus are so popular that they have been seen on the bags of such celebrities as Rihanna.
Labubus, originally female elf characters from Kasing Lung’s 2015 book series The Monsters, these furry dolls didn’t reach global heights until 2019, when Lung teamed up with Chinese toy company POP MART, and according to the company, the sales generated “broke records”.
While Labubus are certainly a microtrend that is certainly harmful, some people have taken to using Labubus for… other purposes. One such purpose was a person in a Labubu costume during the LA protests on June 7, 2025. Labubus also spawned bootleg versions called “Lafufus”.
Lafufu prices have reached $200, and many have been seized at airports in such countries as the UK. Lung had expressed his love of fairy tales and how they inspired him. “That’s why I wanted to create something that I’ve always known existed in my heart,”
Labubus have taken over social media; people on Instagram flaunt their shelves full of Labubus, which they have thoughtfully spent their money on, and they love to go over all these same dolls made of the same material.
