It’s small, fuzzy, and sports a mischievous grin filled with sharp teeth — and yet, the Labubu doll is the unlikely new face of China’s cultural cool. From celebrity handbags in Los Angeles to frenzied collectors in London, this quirky toy has quietly sparked a global craze.

Originally created by Beijing-based toy giant Pop Mart, Labubu has transitioned from niche collectible to international fashion icon. And now, it’s more than a toy — it’s a statement.

What makes Labubu so addictive? Each doll is sold in a “blind box,” meaning buyers don’t know which character variation they’ll get until they open it. Priced at around $40, the exclusivity and surprise factor has made the toy a cult hit, especially among younger consumers online.

At Pop Mart stores from Asia to Europe, long queues and sold-out signs are now common. In London, sales were even temporarily halted due to safety concerns as crowds grew more intense. “It’s quirky, a little ugly, but very relatable,” said London-based interior designer Lucy Shitova, summing up Labubu’s charm.

China’s image abroad has long been shadowed by political skepticism, censorship concerns, and the dominance of mass-market exports like fast-fashion giant Shein. But Labubu might be changing that narrative.

Cultural analysts suggest Labubu is at the forefront of a new wave of soft-power exports from China — where creativity, aesthetics, and emotional appeal intersect with smart marketing and digital virality.

“This marks a shift. It’s not about selling products cheaply anymore — it’s about building global brands,” said Professor Fan Yang of the University of Maryland.

The success of Labubu has even given rise to knockoff versions, cheekily dubbed “lafufus” by internet users, along with YouTube tutorials on spotting fakes.

A huge part of Labubu’s meteoric rise can be traced to TikTok — the video app owned by Chinese tech firm ByteDance. With over a billion users worldwide, the platform helped Labubu break into global consciousness, much like Pokémon and Hello Kitty did for Japan in earlier decades.

Analyst Allison Malmsten from China-based Daxue Consulting described the trend as “China’s soft-power moment,” comparing it to Japan’s cultural boom from the 1980s to the 2010s.

Even amid political tensions, TikTok’s influence has helped shift perceptions. “TikTok probably played a role in changing consumers’ minds about China,” said Joshua Kurlantzick of the Council on Foreign Relations.

While TikTok itself faces scrutiny in the United States — including ongoing efforts to restrict or ban the app — that hasn’t slowed Labubu’s momentum. On the platform alone, there are now over 1.7 million videos featuring the toy.

Of course, a stuffed monster doll won’t erase international political divides. But it is reshaping how young people engage with Chinese brands. Labubu is part of a broader movement that includes rising fashion labels like Shushu/Tong, Songmont, and Marchen — all contributing to a new image of a trend-savvy, design-forward China.

“Soft power doesn’t always mean state power,” Kurlantzick noted. “But cultural exports like Labubu definitely impact how people view China’s place in the world.”

At Pop Mart’s Labubu-themed park in Beijing, 11-year-old Maryam Hammadi from Qatar beamed as she posed with a giant Labubu statue. “In our country, they love Labubu,” she said. “Now they know it comes from China, they want to see it in person.”

Kazakhstani mother Anelya Batalova agreed: “It’s like a virus. Everyone just wants it.”

With lines outside Pop Mart stores stretching for blocks and stars like Rihanna, Cher, and influencers flaunting Labubu in public, one thing is clear: China’s fuzzy little monster is no longer just a trend — it’s a cultural ambassador.


By WafricNews Desk.