HAUTE LABUBU: The beyond viral plush figurine Labubu is getting an auction house treatment as a limited run of 13 green Labubu wearing custom beige Sacai looks and a secret version adorned in a distinctive color will go up for global bidding and viewing from Monday to June 18 at Pharrell Williams‘ auction platform Joopiter.
A physical viewing of the lots to be auctioned will open to the public at Sacai Cheongdam Seoul from Tuesday.
The Labubus, an exclusive Pop Mart x How2work green edition from the Monsters series by the Hong Kong-based artist Kasing Lung, is part of Joopiter’s latest project featuring an upcoming auction and limited-edition capsule collection between the Japanese fashion label Sacai and K-pop sensation Seventeen.
The showcase, which coincides with the release of the group’s fifth studio album “Happy Burstday,” is aimed at celebrating Seventeen’s relationship with Sacai and includes pieces worn, signed, and inspired by the group.
The project is supported by Shinsegae International, Sacai’s retail partner in South Korea.
Joopiter x Sacai x Seventeen Labubu
Courtesy of Joopiter
In addition to the custom Labubus, the auction includes a Sacai-designed jacket seen in Seventeen’s “Bad Influence” video, which was produced by Williams, and a T-shirt signed by 11 of the group’s members.
A line of merchandise designed by Sacai’s Chitose Abe — featuring hoodies, T-shirts in two colorways and a cap, each featuring the J–17–S emblem, a new graphic that merges the logos of Joopiter, Sacai and Seventeen — will be released in tandem with the auction.
Net proceeds from the sale will be donated to UNESCO, the United Nations Organization for Education, Science, and Culture. Both Seventeen and Williams serve as goodwill ambassadors for the organization.
“It was a pleasure to work with Seventeen on our new song, ‘Bad Influence,’ and it’s exciting to bring them into the world of Joopiter, along with our brilliant friend, Chitose Abe of Sacai. This collaboration is built upon our mutual creative energy, and we can’t wait for fans around the world to experience it,” said Williams, who also works as the creative director of menswear at Louis Vuitton.
A Sacai T-shirt signed by 11 of the group’s members featuring the J–17–S emblem
Courtesy of Joopiter
Abe said collaborating with Seventeen was about more than designing clothes; it was about “creating something that could express individuality, unity and energy all at once.”
“Each member brings their own presence, and the goal was to reflect that through garments that blend contrasts, true to Sacai’s philosophy,” she added.
John Auerbach, chief executive officer of Joopiter, added: “We’ve merged the worlds of music and fashion into a truly unique, one-of-a-kind collaboration, one that is true to Joopiter’s mission of bringing the most covetable objects to the world.”