Labubu.
It’s a word that’s recently been injected into our cultural dictionary without much explanation. It seems like everyone these days has one of these devilish little creatures hanging from their bag, keys, or belts.
But not everyone knows the definition of the word– like, what really is a Labubu, anyways?
RISE TO FAME
Designed by Hong Kong-Dutch designer Kasing Lung, these little creatures first rose to prominence after Lung collaborated with retailer Pop Mart. Pop Mart is a Chinese company that primarily sells collectables in “blind boxes”, which is a nice way of saying you don’t really know what you’re buying until you open the box. Blind boxes generally have a pool of designs that you can potentially get, although you don’t know which one yours will be.
Collectors quickly latched on to Labubus for their cute yet strange appearance. Their fluffy bodies and sharp teeth provided a curious contrast that you couldn’t help but stare at.
Labubus had fair recognition after Lung’s collaboration with Pop Mart, but wasn’t until Lisa of K-Pop group Blackpink fame was seen with a Labubu attached to her bag. And with that, a trend was born.
Suddenly, everyone wanted a Labubu.
WHY IS EVERYONE IN VANCOUVER OBSESSED WITH THEM?
It might be more accurate to say that people in general are obsessed with Labubus– not Vancouver, specifically. Young people are particularly attached to social media trends that come and go, so it’s no surprise to see many Vancouverites with Labubus.
Vancouver is made up of a lot of young adults. In a 2020 Social Indicators Profile published by the City of Vancouver, they noted that “Vancouver is gaining young adults (age 25-34).” Similarly, Panalytics– a Vancouver-based quantitative and qualitative research company– reported in 2024 that adults aged 25 to 34 make up the largest percentage of Vancouver citizens at 20.6%.
So, to answer the question as to why everyone is obsessed with Labubus: it’s most likely a matter of marketing, celebrity influence, and people hopping onto the trend bandwagon.
And businesses in Vancouver know that, so you may not be surprised to learn that certain places give out free Labubus in order to drive extra foot traffic. If you’re on the lookout for a Labubu but don’t want to drop the major cash for one, then just keep your eye out for businesses using them as incentives.
