LABUBU FEVER: Harrods is now selling Labubu, one of the hottest collectible toy-cum-bag charms in the world of fashion, following the opening Friday of an eight-week Pop Mart pop-up.
Diehard fans of the fluffy figurine with a grin of spikey teeth formed a long queue outside the store before opening hours, hoping to purchase rare Labubu models and meet their creator, Kasing Lung.
They came wearing designer bags accessorized with Labubu toys, dressed in stylish miniature outfits. Some even brought giant-size plush models to meet Lung.
After meeting fans in the pop-up, Lung came up to the newly opened, appointment-only Harrods penthouse to interact with celebrities, including Olivia Attwood and stylist Harry Lambert.
Labubu fans outside Dover Street Market for creator Kasing Lung.
Tianwei Zhang/WWD
On Saturday, Lung hosted another signing with Perfect Magazine at Dover Street Market London.
Some 100 customers who won the raffle for a limited-edition Labubu black-and-pink figurine also formed a long line outside the retailer. They brought their own Labubu collections for him to sign. Some even brought their pets dressed in Labubu-appropriate attire to meet Lung.
In fashion, the fluffy figurine, part of the China-based toymaker Pop Mart’s The Monsters collection, is riding on the burgeoning bag charm trend and counts a string of pop stars like Lisa, Rihanna and Dua Lipa, and even Thai royals, as fans.
The Monsters range, created by Lung, includes Labubu, first designed in 2015, as well as other characters: Zimomo, Spooky, Tycoco and Pato. Leung signed a licensing agreement with Pop Mart in 2019.
Just like most of Pop Mart’s popular toy ranges, the mischievous-looking Labubu is being sold as a plush toy, a mega-sized collectible, and in a blind box, meaning the customer receives a random product from a themed series. It often includes standard styles that are revealed on the packaging and hidden styles that are highly regarded among collectors.
The Harrods pop-up will be Pop Mart’s seventh branch in London. For eight weeks, the store will be stocked with exclusive Labubu collectibles, special gifts and hot products. Those who purchase a blind box item during the opening period will be able to enter a raffle for a chance to purchase a limited edition, U.K., exclusive Zimomo figurine.
As part of the artist’s European trip, Lung will also attend meet-and-greets in Paris and Amsterdam in the coming days.
