In 2025, the fashion world was captivated by Labubu, the furry, nine-toothed monster from PopMart that dangled from everything - Loewe Puzzles to vintage Prada. Created by artist Kasing Lung, this blind-box phenomenon turned bags into canvases for playful rebellion, embraced by Madonna, Rihanna, and Dua Lipa. Now, as the trend wanes, a new question emerges: what will claim the next pocket-sized throne?
PopMart, the Beijing-based company behind Labubu, has long nurtured a universe of characters - Molly, Skull Panda, Crybaby, Dimoo - each with devoted fans. But Labubu bridged street culture and high fashion, its feral grin becoming a symbol of status and irreverence. Yet the race for its successor is far from settled.
Tokyo's Yukai Engineering offers Mirumi, a robotic bag charm that responds to sound and touch. At ¥125 in Japan, it costs six times a Labubu blind box, challenging the affordability that made Labubu a mass-market darling. Meanwhile, beauty brands like Marc Jacobs - himself a vocal Labubu collector - and The Ordinary have entered the fray with functional charms: leather lipstick cases and mini serums in reusable pouches. These items merge utility with ornament, echoing lingerie's own history of blending structure with sensuality.
Customization, too, is ascendant. Bottega Veneta sells woven-leather letter charms at $490 each, while Anya Hindmarch offers whimsical leather miniatures of Diet Coke cans. Both tap into the same desire for personal narrative that has always driven adornment - from Victorian chatelaines to today's keychain medleys.
The bag charm has evolved from novelty to necessity. Like the corset or the garter belt, it transforms the everyday into a statement. The next viral accessory may lack Labubu's teeth, but fashion has learned its lesson: the smallest object can carry the loudest voice.
Originally reported by WWD