In recent months, Shay Tomi began seeing plush monster dolls attached to purses and strollers around San Francisco. During recent travels, the 28-year-old noticed more hanging from belt loops. Online, she was fed videos of people unboxing creatures of their own.
These objects, as she would come to learn, have a name: Labubu. After years of rising brand awareness in China, they’re taking the U.S. by storm as a hot fashion accessory and hard-to-get collectable.
It’s caught the attention of shoppers, brands and even politicians who want to ride the trend. One retail analyst christened Labubu as the “it” item globally.
“All of the sudden, everyone has it,” said Tomi, who works in finance. “Then, you kind of had to get one.”
Indeed, Tomi got in on the craze: She has four Labubus that take turns hanging from her purse, sometimes dressed in a miniature grey sweatsuit that she bought from a third-party seller. She also got her boyfriend hooked. His Labubus often sport a basketball jersey designed to match the Los Angeles Lakers.
