From die-hard collectors flying across countries in search of rare figurines to K-pop superstar Lisa of Blackpink gushing “I go Pop Mart everywhere” , it’s clear that Pop Mart – a Chinese designer toy brand – has sparked a worldwide craze. At the heart of this phenomenon are Pop Mart’s whimsical blind-box collectibles and its roster of original characters, none more buzzworthy lately than Labubu, a furry “ugly-cute” creature capturing global hearts. This article explores: (1) Pop Mart’s rise from a Beijing boutique to China’s top “潮玩” (designer toy) empire, (2) the story behind Labubu’s creation and why it became a breakout star, and (3) how designer toy culture evolved from niche art into an international trend.
Founded in 2010 by entrepreneur Wang Ning, Pop Mart has rapidly grown into China’s undisputed leader in designer toys . What began as a hip lifestyle boutique in Beijing soon tapped into a hidden goldmine: adult collectibles. In 2015, a tiny 8 cm Japanese figurine called Sonny Angel went viral, suddenly accounting for one-third of Pop Mart’s sales . Sensing the public’s appetite for cute collectibles, Wang pivoted the business from reselling trinkets to creating a platform for original toy IP (intellectual property). The next year, Pop Mart licensed Molly – a wide-eyed doll character by Hong Kong artist Kenny Wong – and launched its first blind box series (the Molly Zodiac in July 2016) . The blind boxes – mystery packs where buyers don’t know which figure they’ll get – were a smash hit, propelling Molly to icon status and validating Pop Mart’s new model.
Under the hood, Pop Mart transformed into a vertically integrated “IP engine.” Rather than merely retailing toys, the company began licensing or creating original characters, partnering with artists, and turning their creations into high-quality figurines . It designs and manufactures these collectibles, then sells them through its own vibrant channels – colorful stores and “Roboshop” vending machines across shopping malls, airports, and beyond . (Pop Mart is often said to be “50% an IP company and 50% a retailer,” seamlessly blending content creation with nationwide distribution .) By controlling both the characters and the sales channels, Pop Mart can discover a promising design, build buzz around it, and scale it up into a trend . This IP-centric strategy also enabled collaborations with global franchises (like Disney and Sanrio) alongside the company’s own homegrown characters .
Today, blind boxes remain Pop Mart’s core product – typically priced around $8–$15 each – fueling a treasure-hunt thrill among consumers . Fans eagerly line up outside stores and share unboxing videos online, chasing rare figures to complete their collections. The surprise element of blind boxes, combined with the artful designs and limited-edition “chase” figures, creates a lottery-like excitement . Many collectors feel a sense of community and nostalgia, trading duplicates with each other and displaying their hauls on social media . As one business columnist noted, Pop Mart isn’t just selling toys – it’s selling an experience and emotion to its young customers .
Pop Mart’s growth has been explosive. By 2020, the company’s IPO in Hong Kong sent its stock soaring, minting Wang Ning (born 1987) as one of China’s youngest billionaires . Even a pandemic hasn’t slowed its momentum – Pop Mart boasted over 50 million registered members by the end of 2024 , and its revenues more than doubled in 2024 alone to 13 billion yuan (≈$1.8 billion) . In China, Pop Mart has become synonymous with the “潮玩” (cháo wán) trend, meaning “trendy toys.” The company’s flagship characters like Molly, Skullpanda, Dimoo and others are now household names among Gen Z collectors. In September 2023, Pop Mart even opened “Pop Land,” a 40,000 m² theme park in Beijing dedicated to its toy characters – a testament to how these once-niche art toys have entered the mainstream.
Crucially, Pop Mart also set its sights beyond China’s borders. As early as 2018, it began expanding abroad, and that global push has accelerated in recent years. As of December 2024, Pop Mart operated over 530 stores worldwide (from Asia to Europe and North America) and some 2,490 Roboshops, with more than 130 stores and 190 machines outside mainland China . Locations range from a flagship store inside the Louvre Museum’s mall in Paris to a sprawling new shop in Los Angeles – planting Chinese designer toys in the heart of global shopping districts . International sales are surging (over $700 million in 2024, about 40% of total revenue) as overseas fans join the craze . The Pop Mart mobile app even hit #1 on the U.S. Apple App Store’s shopping chart at one point , underlining its overseas appeal. In short, within 15 years Pop Mart has evolved from a single Beijing storefront into one of the world’s most successful art toy brands – proving that the right mix of creativity and strategy can turn adorable plastic figurines into a cultural force.
If one character encapsulates Pop Mart’s international explosion, it’s Labubu. This impish little creature – often seen as a fuzzy, big-mouthed gremlin with a devilish grin – has become the must-have designer toy of the moment. Labubu was created by Kasing Lung, a renowned Hong Kong-born artist who spent much of his youth in Europe . Lung’s artwork (branded “The Monsters” series) draws heavily from Nordic fairy tales and European folklore, which fascinated him as a child growing up in the Netherlands . “Labubu was born from my fascination with Nordic mythology…creatures that live in the space between fantasy and reality,” Lung says. He wanted to craft a character embodying duality – “mischievous yet endearing, strange yet deeply human” . The result was Labubu: a naughty-but-lovable forest elf with pointy ears, wild eyes and a wide toothy smile – a design that is equal parts cute and creepy. Lung originally featured Labubu in storybooks and illustrations, but partnering with Pop Mart allowed him to bring Labubu from page to physical product, letting fans “collect, connect with, and make [the character] their own” .
Labubu’s art style stands out in the Pop Mart lineup. While many designer toys are unabashedly cute, Labubu leans into a more whimsical, slightly dark aesthetic often dubbed “ugly-cute.” Imagine a creature from Jim Henson’s Labyrinth or Maurice Sendak’s Where the Wild Things Are – but shrunken to keychain size and sold in pastel-colored blind boxes. This quirky vibe has enthralled young adult collectors. Lung notes that fans today love characters that feel playful, expressive, and a little rebellious – and Labubu hits that sweet spot, becoming a form of self-expression for its devotees . The Monsters universe includes other characters (like the rare pink Mokoko or the tailed leader Zimomo), but Labubu quickly emerged as the breakout star of the crew due to that extreme ugly-cute charm . In Pop Mart’s lore, Labubu is a “Nordic monkey-like forest elf” with a mischievous personality . Fans, however, have made Labubu their own: some imagine her (yes, Labubu is often referred to with she/her) as a cheeky gremlin sprite, others simply adore her oddball looks and fuzzy texture.
Since Pop Mart began releasing Labubu toys (first as vinyl figurines and now also as plush dolls), the character’s popularity has skyrocketed across continents. In China, Labubu was an early hit and remains a top-selling IP (often neck-and-neck with Pop Mart’s flagship Molly). But it’s overseas where Labubu truly became a phenomenon. According to Pop Mart’s 2024 sales, Labubu is the company’s bestselling character globally . Part of the boost came from celebrity fandom: Blackpink’s Lisa has flaunted her Labubu collection on Instagram, and Hollywood stars like Emma Roberts and Harvey Guillén have been spotted with Labubu charms . On TikTok, “#Labubu” unboxing and haul videos rack up hundreds of thousands of views . By 2025, reports of Labubu mania were making headlines worldwide. From New York to Bangkok and Dubai, fans are lining up for hours just to snag Labubu keychain dolls . In London, the frenzy got so intense that Pop Mart temporarily pulled Labubu from shelves “for safety reasons” after scuffles broke out in stores . In the Netherlands, the sole retail shop selling Labubu had to hire extra security to control the crowds . Chinese customs officials even cracked down on travelers trying to smuggle suitcases full of Labubus out of the country .
What makes Labubu so beloved? Collectors often say it’s the “ugly-cute” appeal – that paradoxical charm of something that’s grotesque yet adorable. Labubu’s snaggle-toothed grin and scruffy form set it apart from more saccharine mascots; as one fan put it, “she’s weird in just the right way.” The character also benefited from a rich backstory and artistry – being the brainchild of an established artist gives Labubu an artistic pedigree that resonates with adults who view the toys as art pieces. Moreover, Labubu became a flag-bearer of China’s creative culture abroad. State media even called Labubu “a benchmark for China’s pop culture” and proof that Chinese designer toys can captivate international audiences . In 2025, Pop Mart celebrated Labubu’s 10th anniversary with special edition releases, further fueling fan enthusiasm. All this has cemented Labubu as not just another toy, but a crossover pop icon bridging East and West. As Kasing Lung humbly remarked when seeing his sketch travel so far: “Seeing Labubu embraced by fans worldwide…is surreal and incredibly humbling…It pushes me to keep expanding the universe” .
Labubu’s wild success is part of a bigger designer toy movement that has swept through Asia and now the world. Often referred to as 潮玩 (cháo wán) in Chinese – literally “trendy toys” – designer toys are collectible art toys typically created by artists or designers, produced in limited runs, and marketed towards adults rather than kids. This subculture has its roots in the late 1990s, when visionary artists began turning their original characters into stylized vinyl figures. In Hong Kong, for