Ugly might be the new cute: Just look at Labubu, a “kind of ugly” plush toy that has sparked a buying frenzy across the world, especially in Asia, where people from Bangkok to Kuala Lumpur flocked to shopping malls and online on Friday to get the latest edition of the oh-so-collectible furry, according to CNN. They quickly sold out online.
In the U.S., dozens of people lined up in Chicago in the early morning hours on Friday in front of Pop Mart on Michigan Avenue for the toy. By 6 a.m., a long line of fans snaked around the block.
What is a Labubu, anyway?
Inspired by Nordic folklore, the toothy stuffed animal, has high pointy, rabbit-like ears, big round eyes, a mischievous grin with serrated teeth, and come in “blind boxes” the size of a hand, which keeps the contents a mystery until it is opened.
Chinese toymaker Pop Mart, which sells collectibles, has sold Labubus, as part of its “The Monsters” series for a few years, making a staggering 3 billion yuan, or roughly $410 million in sales, last year alone, reported CNN.
Celebrities from Rihanna to Lisa from Blackpink, are fans; The K-pop singer, who recently appeared in the television hit series “White Lotus,” recently proclaimed on Instagram, “Labubu is my baby.” On Wednesday, Lisa showed off her new pink and yellow tie-dye Labubu, from the latest collection, which is big news because she is credited, in part, with the toy’s extreme popularity in Southeast Asia, per CNN.
According to Pop Mart’s website, illustrator Kasing Lung created a fairy tale world inspired by Nordic mythology in 2015, populating it with magical characters, both good and evil, called “The Monsters,”—the most prominent was Labubu, a “kind-hearted and always wants to help, but often accidentally achieves the opposite.”
Kasing Lung was born in Hong Kong but grew up in the Netherlands, and draws from both cultures, which could explain Labubu’s cross-cultural, global appeal.
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