newsletter issue 150

Whenever 29-year-old Simran Shetty leaves the house, her mother asks her, “Which kid are you taking out today?” In response, The Pop Up Story founder picks out two Labubu dolls that match her purse. On sunny days, these dolls don tiny hats. On colder days, they are dressed in small sweaters. There’s a slew of unofficial retailers for Labubu clothing on Amazon and Temu. “On my list are the little Prada and Chanel bags. That is something I’m currently hunting,” Shetty confesses. She adds that dressing her Labubus is a great way to distinguish one from another, especially because she presently owns 25 of them, and two are enroute from Hong Kong.

The entrepreneur’s infatuation with the dolls may seem concerning, but she is hardly alone. At this moment, you can only be one of the two: baffled by the popularity of Labubus or completely consumed by a passion for the toothy, ugly-cute dolls. Created by Hong Kong artist Kasing Lung and sold exclusively by Pop Mart, these dolls have recently become some of the most coveted collectibles, almost perpetually sold out across the world. Many fans agree that the fact that they are hard to get is what makes them so appealing (red flag?). It is why despite costing only about 40 to 80 dollars each, Labubus have become something of a status symbol. No one on the internet can get enough. Even just watching people on Instagram unbox these dolls—which come in a blind box—is addictive. Celebrities like Rihanna, Dua Lipa and North West have been spotted using Labubus as bag charms. Sadly, for Indians who want to be part of the global craze, there’s another catch. There are no Pop Mart stores—and hence, Labubus—available in the country. Saachi Gupta chats with a few Indian Labubu fanatics who will stop at nothing to get the bag charms of their dreams.