5 d. ago Labubu craze sweeps globe, highlights power China, Asia stars have on consumer trends

Asian and Chinese stars are rewriting the fashion industry playbook, turning niche favourites into global must-haves. The Post explores how celebrity choices shape style and consumption while reflecting the values of today’s fans. Lisa Labubu At 28, Lisa of the South Korean girl band Blackpink has more than 100 million social media followers and more than 1.9 billion online streams for her solo debut Lalisa. In April 2024, the Thai star posted photos with a Labubu plush toy and a matching...

Politics

5 d. ago Labubu craze sweeps globe, highlights power of China, Asia stars have on consumer trends

Asian and Chinese stars are rewriting the fashion industry playbook, turning niche favourites into global must-haves. The Post explores how celebrity choices shape style and consumption while reflecting the values of today’s fans. Lisa Labubu At 28, Lisa of the South Korean girl group Blackpink has more than 100 million social media followers and over 1.9 billion online streams for her solo debut, Lalisa. In April last year, the Thai star posted photos with a Labubu plush toy and a matching...

Politics

1 week ago Is Labubu the next Hello Kitty? Analysts debate the limits for China’s Pop Mart

Pop Mart, the company behind the hit collectible character Labubu, was virtually unknown outside mainland China before 2024, but now some analysts are comparing its success to that of Sanrio and its Hello Kitty property, suggesting that the Beijing toymaker could have created a new playbook for cultural exports. Labubu, a sharp-fanged but cute little monster that is often sold as a plush clip-on charm for handbags, has attracted high-profile fans including the family of football star David...

Politics

1 week ago How Pop Mart turns Labubu into a cultural phenomenon ‘without mentioning China’

Pop Mart, the company behind the hit collectible character Labubu, was virtually unknown outside mainland China before 2024, but now some analysts are comparing its success to that of Sanrio and its Hello Kitty property, suggesting that the Beijing toymaker could have created a new playbook for cultural exports. Labubu, a sharp-fanged but cute little monster that is often sold as a plush clip-on charm for handbags, has attracted high-profile fans including the family of football star David...

Politics

1 week ago Is Labubu the next Hello Kitty? Analysts debate Pop Mart’s limits

Pop Mart, the company behind the hit collectible character Labubu, was virtually unknown outside mainland China before 2024, but now some analysts are comparing its success to that of Sanrio and its Hello Kitty property, suggesting that the Beijing toymaker could have created a new playbook for cultural exports. Labubu, a sharp-fanged but cute little monster that is often sold as a plush clip-on charm for handbags, has attracted high-profile fans including the family of football star David...

Politics

2 w. ago China’s Pop Mart conquers Middle East with Labubu plush toys

After a meteoric rise in the US and Southeast Asia, Pop Mart International’s latest iteration of its hit Labubu character is winning deep-pocketed fans in the Middle East, a fresh sign that the Beijing-based toymaker’s ambition to become a “truly global company” is gaining momentum. Google trend data shows that interest in the character surged in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) after the April 25 launch of the latest Big Into Energy series. Among the largest emirates, Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Sharjah...

Politics

3 w. ago Labubu propels Chinese trend factory Pop Mart into HK$300 billion club on Hong Kong market

After a 10-fold share-price jump in a year, toymaker tops all but 26 other Hong Kong-listed firms in market capitalisation.

Economics