Labubu, Kawaii: Cuteness could be luxury’s secret weapon

Sparking 5am queues in Los Angeles, some selling for a 627% price premium on StockX, and causing enough fights across the U.K. to be temporarily banned from some stores, a Beijing-born plush toy has powerfully connected consumers around the world. Though famously deemed ugly, Labubus are cute. And despite it being a new Western craze for keychains of the fluffy character to be hanging off luxury bags, the notion of “cuteness” is a historically commercialized phenomenon in East Asia — a social movement that is behind China’s love for collecting toys, and the consequent success of Pop Mart. ‘Kawaii’ and ‘meng’ culture “Kawaii’ culture, based on “cuteness,” first emerged in Japan in the 1970s as a form of youth rebellion against academia, with university students reading children’s comics (manga) as a protest against rigid educational norms. Initially popularized through childlike handwriting and innocent aesthetics in manga and anime, the term also reflected a retreat into nostalgia and innocence amid the pressures of a changing society. As Japan faced prolonged economic stagnation during the “Lost Decade” of the 1990s, “kawaii” culture gained new momentum, providing escapism. Brands capitalized on its emotional appeal, using cute aesthetics to soften their image and stimulate consumer desire, evolving into a powerful marketing tool across industries. “You could say ‘kawaii’ fashion is a way for us to return to childhood,” says Tokyo-based journalist Ashley Ogawa Clarke. “The bag charm boom, which has culminated recently in Labubu mania, is like a license to be a kid again. The world feels increasingly miserable and bleak, so it’s plausible that we want to find ways to return to a time when we didn’t have to worry about the big stuff.” Comforting nostalgia has long been a selling tactic, and the extent of it across China, Japan, and South Korea makes anything deemed “super cute” appear pan-Asian. In China, the word “meng” (萌) describes products with a childlike charm. Amid economic uncertainty and war, the West is evidently catching up to the appeal of commercializing the collective relief provided by cuteness. And Labubu mania is likely to accelerate this trend. The past year has seen Jimmy Choo x Sailor Moon, Acne Studios celebrate 80 years of Moomin with a 16-piece capsule, Jean Paul Gaultier and Gentle Monster each collaborate with Bratz, and Louis Vuitton’s playfully vibrant Takashi Murakami pop-ups spreading “kawaii” worldwide. The French luxury house also went viral earlier this month for introducing its own take on Labubu with its Vivienne Fashionista and Louis Bear bag charms. Comforting or frivolous? Unsurprising as “cuteness” offers a reliable formula to follow, ‘kawaii’ and ‘meng’ culture have both helped build up Japanese and Chinese economies respectively with their dominant roles in advertising. Ogawa Clarke explains how ingrained ‘kawaii’ is in the culture of Japan. He says, “There are cute mascots connected to everything from prefectures to blood donation, and even army recruitment posters have featured cute-looking anime characters in the past.” While the West has incorporated this strategy with more subtlety, the current rise of comforting luxury branding in the West looks like a reaction to consumer emotional turbulence — some journalists are stating that the rise of adorable things is steeped in collective rage and need for relief. But, Japanese Paris-based fashion journalist Chise Taguchi is not convinced. “It may be the case that some girls are drawn to ‘kawaii’ things when they’re feeling sad,” she says. “However, personally, I don’t think ‘kawaii’ fashion, or the current obsession with cute trinkets, is actually down to consumers feeling sad. For Japanese kids and young people, words like ‘kawaii’ and ‘kira kira’ are all about love, cuteness, and the sparkling things that capture their imagination — rather than a reaction to sadness. At least, that’s certainly true for most Japanese girls.” The neuroscience behind ‘kawaii’ A University of Oxford research study found that “cuteness” activates rapid brain responses linked to pleasure, making it a powerful tool for capturing consumers’ attention. Because cute stimuli engage multiple senses, brands can use cuteness strategically to foster emotional connection, increase memorability, and potentially drive more compassionate consumer behavior. For a while, European luxury houses have localized with more playful, gamified strategies in China to connect with cute-loving consumers. Fendi, for example, positions itself toward a less serious consumer-base in the mainland, from the Fendidi Panda character designed by Oscar Wang, to collaborating with mainstream beverage brand Heytea. Balenciaga, meanwhile, launched a WeChat mini game of snake earlier this year, sending journalists a gameboy to play it. During difficult times, joy can be found in playing a game of snake or cuddling a Labubu. When adopted thoughtfully, cuteness can deepen engagement and shape positive brand perception in luxury.

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Labubu mania: Is ‘kawaii’ luxury’s 2025 savior?

How Bottega Veneta weaved China’s forever it bag