UNIQLO UT × POP MART「The Monsters」聯乘系列正式登場
UNIQLO UT 再度帶來重磅聯乘，今次夥拍 POP MART 把超人氣「The Monsters」宇宙化作系列圖 Tee。此作聚焦藝術家 Kasing Lung 的奇幻角色，讓粉絲以全新方式親近這班萌怪精靈。
「The Monsters」靈感源自北歐民間傳說，由一群調皮小精靈組成，其中以 Labubu 最為人熟悉；其他成員包括 Zimomo、Tycoco、Mokoko、Spooky 及 Pato。是次聯乘以 Kasing Lung 的色彩手繪、拼貼與字體設計貫穿全系列，完美捕捉角色的頑皮神韻。系列同步推出成人及兒童尺碼的 Tee 與衛衣，配色涵蓋白、黑、灰、粉紅等選擇。
系列將於 8 月 25 日率先登陸日本及亞洲各地 UNIQLO 旗艦店，隨後於全球陸續發售。此番合作把流行藝術與收藏玩具文化融入 UNIQLO 標誌性的 LifeWear 服飾，讓粉絲真正把這個獨特的創意宇宙穿上身。
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Yahoo
25 minutes ago
- Yahoo
A Harry Potter-Inspired ‘Return to Hogwarts' Party Is the Best Way to Fend Off the Back-to-School Scaries
PureWow editors select every item that appears on this page, and some items may be gifted to us. Additionally, PureWow may earn compensation through affiliate links within the story. All prices are accurate upon date of publish. You can learn more about the affiliate process here. You can learn more about that process here. Yahoo Inc. may earn commission or revenue on some items through the links below. Read the original article on Purewow. Heading back to school can bring a wave of excitement—and anxiety. What will my teacher be like? Will I make friends? What if everyone is over Labubu and I get laughed out of class for my prized Lafufu collection dangling off my backpack?! Sixth grade was a huge adjustment for me, so much so that I dreaded every day of it, those first few weeks—but Harry Potter got me through it. Immersed in a world so fantastical, with characters so oddly relatable (despite the giants and thestrals and a certain immortality-seeking, murderous wizard), I devoured each book so quickly that I had to ration how many chapters a day I'd read, just to extend the storyline a bit longer. So, when my daughter, nieces and nephew seemed less than thrilled at the idea of summer ending—and teacher friends described combatting the 'back-to-school scaries'—I thought, what if we could turn some of that magic into a back-to-school party? Thus, the Return to Hogwarts party was born. Armed with a little creativity, a modest budget (my goal was to spend $150 or less) and roughly three hours to throw it all together, here's what I did—along with some ideas if you want to take things to the next level. (If you do, please send me your photos! I'd love to see them.) What to Make 1. Send the Invites Paperless Post Nobody has time to train a snowy owl to deliver personalized, wax-sealed letters of acceptance (though for $25, you can score a customized Hogwarts letter and supplies list that's frame-worthy). As a cheaper—and more timely alternative—might I suggest modifying Paperless Post wizard party invites (26 cents each) or creating and sending your own for free with Canva? 2. Create Your Own Platform 9 ¾ original photos: candace davison Cover the door—or even a portion of it—with brick bulletin board paper ($12), then tape a Platform 9 ¾ sign to the outside to set the tone of the party as people arrive. I made the Platform sign using the DM Serif Display font within a large circle on Canva (which I'll share here), which I printed and cut out. It took less than 10 minutes, but it made a big impact. 3. Set Up the Great Hall original photo: candace davison Confession: I had aspirations of buying Poly-fil, sheets and LED lights to create a stormy sky, like this phenomenal TikTok, but given my time and budget constraints, I wound up pointing my projector toward the ceiling, playing a loop of a starry sky, and hanging floating candles ($35; $25). Nobody seemed to mind; they were too busy passing around the wand that came with said candles—it functioned like a remote, allowing you to flick on and off the lights with the press of a button. There are a few designs like this sold online, but I've found Michaels Ashland candles are the most reliable and easiest to use. (On that note, shoutout to Michaels in general, because their Ashland line inspired half the decor—like this LED-lighted mantel scarf, $25, LED pillar candle set, $30, and ceramic cauldron, $12, all of which I can re-use for Halloween. Also, I saved 30 percent on my entire order by ordering online for a curbside pickup, which saved me time to boot, since I didn't have to scour stores for what I needed.) original photo: candace davison To further my theme while remaining budget friendly, I bought eight sheets of felt (67 cents apiece), in each of the four Hogwarts houses' colors. I cut them into four flags, using the other four pieces of felt to cut out a giant letter for each house's name, and glued it on top as decorations to hang on the walls. 4. Conjure Up a Sorting Hat Photo Opp original photo: candace davison If you have a statement armchair—or in my case, a swing chair—use it to your advantage. If you don't, you'll have plenty of leftover brick bulletin board paper you can use to cover a wall as a backdrop. To make more of a statement, I flanked the chair with these floating acceptance letter garlands I found on Amazon ($15). They come pre-strung on clear nylon, though I found I needed to use clear packing tape or string them from my curtain rods so they wouldn't immediately (and constantly) fall down. Still, it was worth it, especially when paired with the Official Sorting Hat (at $32, it was my 'splurge,' but it was a must). What to Serve 5. Concoct 2-3 Semi-Spooky Snacks original photo: candace davison There's no shortage of Harry Potter-inspired treats you can serve at your party (Snitch-inspired chocolate bon bons! Butterbeer fudge! Pumpkin Pasties!), but that can get pretty time-consuming. I try to stick to two or three 'statement' snacks (I made green chocolate-drizzled, candy-eye topped "Madeye Moody's popcorn" and pretzel-rod wands) and then round things out with a few kid-friendly basics, like tater tots, pizza cut into two-bite pieces and a basic crudité platter. 6. Rebrand a Few Tried-and-True Classics original photos: candace davison To that end, just because you're not constructing the Marauder's Map out of puff pastry doesn't mean you can't infuse a little magic into the food table with a few creative name cards. That veggie platter? Well, it's Professor Sprout's garden, of course, and the mango-pineapple juice? Trade out the bottle for a pitcher and some test tubes; it's a Polyjuice Potion now. (And, as my niece declared, it was 'the key' to turning her into Hermione Granger—not the costume that my brother-in-law had brought her in.) Even pigs in a blanket can be, uh, Basilisks in a Blanket, with the right signage. What to Do 7. Make Grade School Pennants (or Charm Bracelets) original photo: candace davison Since I was entertaining a gaggle of kids entering second through fourth grade, my crafts were relatively low lift. I put out colored pencils and crayons, along with these printable 'I'm entering ___ grade' pennants our PureWow team designed (which you can use too; just save this PDF). After decorating them, the kids could cut them out and tape them to a bamboo chopstick for their Sorting Hat photos. If you're entertaining an older crowd, they may be down with a goofy sorting hat pic…not so much coloring flags. In that case, pivot! Backpack charms are having a major moment, and if my crew were a bit older, I would've scooped up these Hogwarts and Horcrux charm sets ($15), basic beads in Hogwarts colors and a few Keyring Lobsters ($5). 8. Visit the Wand Shop original photo: candace davison Bamboo Chopsticks ($6) were another Hogwarts party MVP: Not only did I use them for the pennants, but I broke them apart and used them as the base for my wand-making station. Before the party, I used a hot glue gun and glue sticks to design swirls, criss-cross patterns and polka dots along the bottom half of several chopsticks, to give them the engraved and knobby looks of the wands from the Harry Potter series. I covered my table with posterboard, and let each witch and wizard take turns playing with the wand options, as they searched for their perfect fit. Once 'the wand chooses the wizard,' the kids got to paint them, then we moved onto snacks before returning to embellish them with metallic Sharpie markers. In hindsight, I would've added some rhinestones and glue, just for some extra flair for the Luna Lovegoods and future Beauxbatons transfers among us. 9. Get 'Sorted' into Your New Grade original photo: candace davison You're not a regular mom, you're a wizard, 'Arry! Oh, wait, I'm conflating quotes, aren't I? Ah, well. While other parents opt for the standard First Day of School chalkboard sign, I vote that you give your kids a different cheesy photo opp to cringe over in five years! We had fun putting on the Sorting Hat and having kids shout out which grade they were going into, before flashing their pennant (and biggest grins) for a pic. 10. Watch the Movie original photo: candace davison One of the nice things about Harry Potter is that the series grows with its audience, so my younger crowd appreciated seeing the first movie, whereas older kids—as in, 10 and up—may prefer to watch later films, like Prisoner of Azkaban and beyond. (Funny enough, we didn't even get through the movie—the kids were having too much fun pretending to be witches and wizards with their new wands.) The Bottom Line: Don't Overthink It original photos: candace davison It's so easy to turn Pinterest into a Portkey, racking up so many DIYs that you'll need three weeks' time and five figures to create The Core Memory of a Lifetime. But the thing is, all you really need are some floating candles, a wand-making station and solid snacks to have a great (and unforgettable) back-to-school party. Promise. 15 Harry Potter-Inspired Airbnbs You'll Want to Apparate to, Stat
Fast Company
3 hours ago
- Fast Company
What the Labubu craze says about the future of brand strategy
Labubu, the bug-eyed elves from Beijing, might just be the unlikeliest face of global brand disruption. But the viral figurines, sold in blind boxes across Asia, Europe, and the Americas, are helping rewrite the rules of consumer engagement and revealing what the future of global brands might look like. Their success isn't really about toys; it's about building a new kind of consumer community. Pop Mart, the brand behind Labubu, has built a business on orchestrating demand, emotion, and engagement at scale. In the first half of 2024, the company posted RMB 6.65 billion in revenue (roughly $920 million), tripled its profits year-on-year, and reached a $40 billion market capitalization, more than double that of U.S. toy giants Hasbro and Mattel combined. It recently told investors to expect a 350% year-on-year profit surge for the first half of 2025. What makes Labubu exceptional is that it represents one of China's first truly organic cultural exports. It's a phenomenon driven by its community of fans, rather than top-down orchestration. A TikTok moment Born from the imagination of Hong Kong-based illustrator Kasing Lung, the 'ugly-cute' dolls were catapulted into the spotlight after Blackpink's Lisa was spotted carrying a plush version. That moment triggered a viral TikTok surge and helped drive a 726.6% increase in Labubu-related revenue, now accounting for 25% of Pop Mart's total. What we're seeing isn't a one-off success, it's a structural shift in how cultural IP is created, scaled, and consumed globally. Chinese consumer innovation is entering a new phase, moving from platforms and hardware to emotionally resonant, creator-led IP. These fandom-driven communities bypass traditional media gatekeepers entirely. Other Chinese firms are accelerating this shift. Xiaomi, Miniso, and Heytea are part of a new generation of brands not competing on price or scale, but by building fan communities, embedding emotion, and turning cultural resonance into business strategy. The orchestration of desire Labubu's rise is no accident. Sold in 'blind boxes'—sealed packaging that hides the variant inside—it's more than clever merchandising. It's behavioral design. The randomized reward system mirrors gaming mechanics, tapping into dopamine loops and repeat engagement. Over 1.7 million TikTok videos tagged #Labubu feature unboxings. Limited editions, like the Rainbow Labubu, have fetched over $150,000 at auction. Instead of relying on loyalty programs or sales funnels, the brand creates micro-moments of surprise that make shopping feel like play. Its 66.8% gross margin reflects not just operational efficiency, but emotional value. The retail strategy—vending machines, roboshops, and immersive flagships—is designed for experience, not efficiency. In New York, teens queue outside Pop Mart's SoHo flagship not to shop, but to swap figurines, livestream unboxings, or hunt for rare Labubu variants—mimicking sneaker culture. From product to platform This emotional engagement mirrors moves by other Chinese innovators. Xiaomi, once a low-cost smartphone player, has evolved into a lifestyle platform spanning wearables, TVs, EVs, and smart home devices. Its loyal Mi Fan community is central to its success by participating in product development. This two-way relationship cuts marketing costs and builds loyalty. Online forums, feedback channels, and fan events make Xiaomi feel less like a company and more like a community. Miniso, too, has leaned into aesthetic curation and scarcity. Its co-branded collections with Sanrio, Marvel, and Coca-Cola go viral on social platforms, while its treasure-hunt store layout fuels impulse discovery. Despite affordable price points, it achieves performance that rivals luxury retailers—proving emotional design can scale. At the center of this shift is aesthetic fluency. Pop Mart's roboshops now span 25 countries, including the U.S., France, and Australia. Flagship stores in New York and Los Angeles draw Gen Z crowds reminiscent of Supreme drops. The design of Labubu—quirky, ironic, expressive—taps directly into Gen Z's appetite for memeable, imperfect symbols of self-expression. This isn't imitation. China is exporting design-native communities that speak to youth culture through visual language. Monetizing emotion at scale Chinese brands are also redefining how emotion scales. While legacy Western players rely on storytelling and identity marketing, their Chinese counterparts are building infrastructure for emotional engagement. 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It's tempting to view Pop Mart as a regional curiosity. That would be a mistake. Labubu may look like a viral toy, but it's also a case study in how design, emotion, and communities converge into strategic advantage. What ties these brands together is not just design or digital presence—it's the way they build and sustain fan communities. Labubu isn't a preview, it's proof. And for global brands still running on legacy logic, it's time to catch up.
USA Today
18 hours ago
- USA Today
Labubu is at Walmart! The hottest blind box toys go mainstream
It's time to get your Labu-boo shopping on! They've been all over social media, spotted with celebrities and have sparked a worldwide collecting craze. But what exactly are Labubu? They're collectible plush toys and figurines that have become a global phenomenon. These mischievous-looking characters are part of a series called The Monsters, created by Hong Kong-born artist Kasing Lung. And now, these playful, elf-like creatures are available at Walmart! Once rare finds only available in specialty stores, the demand for these blind box toys has grown so huge that Walmart, in partnership with StockX, is now selling them through its marketplace. This is a major step in bringing the highly coveted world of designer toys to a much bigger audience. This move proves that the hunt for these viral little monsters is only getting more intense. Plus, we've dug through the selection and picked a few of our faves below, be sure to grab them before they sell out. Please note: These are final sale and cannot be returned or exchanged. These purchases have been verified by StockX and are brand new with tags. Shop Labubu at Walmart Labubu now available at Walmart Labubu The Monsters Big into Energy Series Phone Charm Blind Box This blind box features a collection of charms in six non-repeating blind boxes, each with a surprise charm. Shop at Walmart Pop Mart Labubu The Monsters Wacky Mart Series Figure Blind Box This set of 12 blind boxes features Labubu reimagined as various Japanese convenience store snacks and items, such as a cup of noodles and fried shrimp. Plus, you have a chance of finding a rare secret figure. Shop at Walmart More: Crocs and 'The Summer I Turned Pretty' star Lola Tung launched new clogs for fall Pop Mart Labubu The Monsters Exciting Macaron Vinyl Face Blind Boxes This case contains six non-repeating blind boxes with a character inspired by a macaron like Sesame Bean, Sea Salt Coconut, Green Grape, Lychee Berry, Soymilk and Toffee, with a rare secret figure, Chestnut Cocoa. Shop at Walmart Pop Mart Labubu The Monsters Have a Seat Vinyl Plush Blind Box This is a collection of six blind boxes, each containing Labubu in a unique seated pose. This set includes characters such as Zizi, Ququ, Dada, Sisi, Baba and Hehe, with a secret figure named Duoduo. Shop at Walmart Shop Labubu at Walmart
