As we are well into the fall school year, we carry along with them the hottest summer trends. One of the major trends of the summer of 2025 was Labubus.
Labubus are collectible vinyl and plush toys that originated as characters in Kasing Lung’s “The Monsters” picture book series. Pop Mart, a toy company based in China, wanted to do a collaboration with the series and create a collectible item for fans. This was the start of the worldwide sensation of Labubus.
The viral trend started to gain lots of traction when K-pop singer Lisa from BLACKPINK posted a picture with some of the Labubu collections, and later called them her secret obsession in a Vanity Fair video. Labubu’s began to transition into high-end luxury items when celebrities like Rihanna and Dua Lipa started accessorizing them. The rapid growth of popularity increased demand, making the already limited supply even more exclusive. This scarcity allowed Pop Mart and other manufacturers to raise prices, which further strengthened their status as a luxury item.
One of the many appeals to the Labubus is the blind unboxing. When purchasing a Labubu, customers have the choice of many collections, which have different characters within each one.
Ruzanna Margaryan ‘26 states, “The more Labubu’s I buy, the more I want. I see them to be addictive not only because of their aesthetic and cute appearance but also because of the limited supply.” As Ruzo highlights, this addictive appeal to Labubus and the intense desire to have more and keep up with the newest collections.
Fabric Academy, a reputable marketing platform, published an article researching the psychology behind what made Labubu’s such a viral success. They emphasize how the scarcity, unpredictability, and emotional sensations contribute to its appeal. One aspect that the article highlighted that surprised me was how the limited supply connects to consumers’ emotion of FOMO (Fear of Missing Out).
Jules Munoz ‘29, Maya Galingo ‘29, and Maeve Mcintosh ‘29 all agreed that they can see how people get addicted to the adrenaline rush and excitement of the blind unboxing, but the more you open and unbox, the adrenaline and excitement start to fade.
Along with most materialistic trends, Labubus comes along with dupes and conspiracy theories. Lafufu’s are duplicates of Labubus, manufactured with worse quality and less detail. Lafufus have more of a squishy texture, their appearance is seen to be cheaper and not as detailed with more overdone qualities, and the most obvious difference is the number of teeth. Labubus have nine teeth, while Lafufu’s often are seen with eight or ten. The existence of Lafufus has created more exclusivity and desirability around Labubu’s. It has highlighted the scarcity and authenticity of the item. These dupes feed into the craze around collecting and owning a real Labubu.
When asked if they can tell the difference between a Labubu and Lafufu, fellow Tologs said the most noticeable differences are the texture, appearance, and the number of teeth. Ruzo stated,” Lafufus have a squishier texture and feel to them while Labubus are more dense and have a higher quality feeling to the touch.”
Conspiracy theories can heavily impact consumer views and behavior in trends. In the case of Labubus and Lafufus, rumors that certain Lafufus have hidden cameras spark fear and suspicion within buyers. These claims can have dual effects; some consumers might avoid Lafufus entirely, creating more desirability around Labubu’s, and others may become intrigued or seek out the “forbidden” product, creating more attention and discussion around both manufacturers. These conspiracies boost the trend’s visibility, unpredictability, and contribute to the high demand as people rush to collect or obtain these items.
As we move away from summer and into the fall, we can look back on the summer trend of Labubus. The collectible vinyl and plush toy became a symbol of status and shows how social media can create such a fixation and addiction to trends, specifically when celebrities and influencers tote these items. The Labubu sensation has shown no signs of ending soon, the fandom remains strong as new collections and limited edition collections continue to drop, helping secure their spot in the top viral trends.