TR | 2026-05-25

Tom Ruddellpages / about / follow

On Labubu and the hyperreal

25th May 2026

Sometime last year I saw a man in his young to mid-twenties with a fluffy toy grinning cheekily out at the world from a clip on his belt. The contrast between his masculine-expressing clothing and the plushie jarred. It was some sort of statement, but I didn't know how to interpret it and I couldn’t forget it. That was my introduction to Labubu.

Meeting Labubu and Pop Mart

Labubu is a small fluffy toy with stubby arms, rabbit eats, a round body and large head filled with huge doe-eyes and a wide "snaggletoothed" grin. Created in 2015 by artist-designer Kasing Lung for a picture book series, Labubu and her magical elven companions - each imbued with unique characteristics - are inspired by Nordic mythology and dubbed “The Monsters”. These whimsical and curious (female) elves have lived out their carefree lives in the forest for millenia; at least, until 2019 when POP MART acquired exclusive rights to the Labubu IP.

POP MART is, in their own words, “a rising global force in pop culture and entertainment”, with “over 500 stores in 30+ countries and regions, more than 2,300 ROBOSHOPS and e-commerce." (A ROBOSHOP, for the uninitiated, is a vending machine for toys.)

Labubu may be POP MART’s biggest draw, but the brand sells numerous other characters made by different “artists”. There's Molly, Dimoo, Pucky, skullpanda, crybaby and others, each designed by different artists. Each character has pages of plushies, figures, charms, phone cases and bags. There are crossovers between characters and other brands, like coca-cola, Disney, even UEFA.

Labubu is cute. But why is it so successful, so suddenly? Why are adults wearing them on their belts?

Escaping adulthood and loneliness

Labubu has to be viewed with reference to the Coronavirus pandemic that coincides with her POP MART launch in 2019 and rise to fame in 2024 after promotion by K-pop idol Lisa (which was not an official endorsement).

While experiences during the pandemic were not homogeneous, many younger people experienced a specific sort of hardship - missing a part of their youth. Forced into isolation, young adults missing out on social engagement and opportunities to make friends and social networks, learn social skills and explore behavioural boundaries. In this regard, Labubu seems to have proven very effective at acting as an avatar and companion.

Above: A reddit user shares details on how to give Labubus a BBL

In the years following the pandemic many of us, across all ages, embraced nostalgia - a yearning for either true or imagined pasts – comforting associations which offer us an imaginary respite from the complexities, threats and uncertainties in the present day.

But it's not just the pandemic that might have nudged people towards plushies - we are in a period of unprecedented institutional weakness without real trust in the possibility for things to improve. Affordable housing and stable careers are no longer even expectations. In the West, economic decline, intractable political fragmentation and conflict are the stable elements of reality.

Above: A reddit user shares that his Labubu gives him joy

There is no doubt that Labubu and plushies in general find favour among those simply seeking comfort, the cute and the soft – the ‘kidults’ and the ‘disney adults’. Associated cultural movements like Kawaii and K-Pop, especially relevant because of K-Pop star Lisa’s endorsement of Labubu, promote childish behaviour and aesthetics. The name itself, Labubu, is obviously chosen for babyish associations. Labubu herself is designed using the “baby schema”.

But while nostalgia and a rejection of ageing and adulthood is part of Labubu’s appeal it isn’t the full story. While reminiscent of plushies of bygone times – think beanie babies, furby, build-a-bear, even jellycat – Labubu was, to most people, a new character when they encountered her in 2024 or 2025.

Much more important is the social role Labubu can play for those, especially Gen Z, affected by both loneliness and pervasive use of social-media.

In the UK, 33% of those between 16 and 29 report being lonely "often, always or some of the time". This age group spends less time with others than previous generations and role-play with toys provides a space in which to play out or simulate adult social interactions.

Above: A reddit user shares an image of plushies buying coffee with a friend

Countless posts on social media platforms show Labubus sweetly performing mundane discretised activities familiar to our daily lives; taking the bus, taking selfies, eating, drinking coffee with a friend, getting married. This role-playing simulates, rehearses (or perhaps substitutes for) real behaviours that the owner might want to or actually engage in.

Many of those roles are not speculative, though, but show Labubu accompanying owners in their daily lives or at special events, performing...