What is Labubu, and where can you buy them?

(NEXSTAR) – Move over, Furby, there’s a new kind of cute, kind of creepy creature taking over the fashion world. Meet Labubu. 

You may have seen some of these colorful figures, complete with wide, toothy grins, large eyes, and fuzzy bunny outfits. 

They’ve prompted lines spanning blocks in cities like Paris and Los Angeles. Plush toys and figurines have been sold out at Pop Mart, the retailer tasked with fulfilling the immense demand for them. Brides have opted to toss a Labubu into the crowd instead of the traditional bouquet. Celebrities have clipped them to their purses or belt loops while attending events like the Cannes Film Festival.

Even actor Emma Roberts is getting in on the trend. 

“My dream finally came true,” Roberts said in an unboxing video posted to Instagram late last month, detailing her journey of waiting in line at Pop Mart to snag some Labubu creatures of her own. 

But what in the world is a Labubu, you may be asking? 

You’ll need to travel back 10 years to 2015. Then, Hong Kong-born author and illustrator Kasing Lung began producing a story series known as “The Monsters.” The picture books – inspired by Nordic mythology, according to Pop Mart – feature “magical characters both good and evil.” Those characters are collectively known as The Monsters, but the most prominent is Labubu herself. 

Labubu and her fellow elves are all female, kindhearted, and well-intentioned, even if they occasionally get into trouble, Emily Brough, the head of licensing at Pop Mart North America, told The New York Times earlier this year. There is one exception: Zimomo, leader of the Labubu tribe, is male. 

The world of Labubu has been compared to “The Smurfs” by Lung and “Where the Wild Things Are” by many others. Lung even made a Labubu version of the boy at the center of that childhood tale, Max, during an exhibition in 2017.

Within the last year, the Labubu franchise began to gain popularity in the U.S. 

The New York Times pointed to Lisa, a member of Blackpink and the “White Lotus” cast, Rihanna, and Dua Lipa as being photographed with the dolls. NBA star Dillon Brooks even recently sported one. 

Labubu’s popularity began picking up in 2023 when Pop Mart, which struck a deal with Lung in 2019 to sell figurines from the series, made plush toys on key rings. “Blind boxes” have also fueled collections and unboxing videos, like those filmed by Emma Roberts.

There are now 1.4 million #Labubu TikTok posts and counting, videos of fans not only unboxing them but showing styles inspired by them, and of course, Labubu cosplay.

Unlike many toys, Labubu devotees include a large number of adults. Buyers ages 18 and over drove a year-over-year increase of more than $800 million in the U.S. toy market in 2024, according to market research firm Circana. Adult shoppers, mostly female, bought the toys for themselves. In 2025's first quarter, toy sales for those ages 18 and over rose 12% from the prior-year period. At $1.8 billion, adults also accounted for the highest spending among all age groups in the quarter.

Labubu has been a bonanza for Pop Mart. Its revenue more than doubled in 2024 to 13.04 billion yuan ($1.81 billion), thanks in part to its elvish monster. Revenue from Pop Mart's plush toys soared more than 1,200% in 2024, nearly 22% of its overall revenue, according to the company's annual report.

Looking to keep up with the overwhelming demand, Pop Mart says it's on track for 50 more retail locations in the U.S. by the end of the year. That'll give shoppers more chances to hunt for Labubus, as Pop Mart says it's planning multiple new Labubu releases tied to seasonal moments and holidays throughout the rest of the year.

If you don’t have a Pop Mart near you, you can still shop “The Monsters” online.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.