Do you Labubu? The monster doll trend attracts hundreds to Tustin cafe

Los Angeles Times

7 days ago

Nearly 500 people lined up to buy tiny clothing for their Labubus at Morning Lavender Cafe and Boutique in Tustin on a recent Wednesday, when the shop hosted a special event called 'Lavender & Labubu' centered around the trending monster dolls.
'They are cute,' said young Mila Espinoza, who carried her own clear tote bag full of Labubus as she joined the event with her mother, Monica. 'I got one and then I wanted to get more.'
So what is a Labubu, anyway?
Labubus are rabbit-eared plush toys with vinyl faces that feature big eyes and comically large grins that expose razor sharp teeth. The dolls come in a range of sizes at multiple prices points, with rare ones coveted by children, teens and adults who use them as bag charms and status symbols.
Simultaneously cute and creepy, the dolls with a name that's fun to say have been compared to the Wild Things in Maurice Sendak's children's book, 'Where the Wild Things Are.' But they actually originate from different literature altogether. Artist Kasing Lung, who was born in Hong Kong but grew up in the Netherlands, created the characters for his 2015 storybook series 'The Monsters,' drawing his inspiration from Nordic fairy tales.
Labubus are the latest craze in a world of quickly shifting micro trends that in recent memory has included Sonny Angels and Stanley cups. Their launch into the trend stratosphere began in 2019, when Lung partnered with Pop Mart, a Chinese toy and collectibles company that features figures from artists and designers in blind boxes; packaging that makes it impossible to tell which toy is inside the box.
'Pop Mart maintains close relationships with over 350 global artists and collaborates with 25 talented artists through licensing or collaborative arrangements,' Qevin Leung, regional business development manager at Pop Mart, told TimesOC in 2022 when a Pop Mart store debuted at South Coast Plaza. 'Pop Mart has done collaborations with Yves Saint Laurent, Sephora, Moncler, Disney, Universal Studios, Warner Bros., Sanrio, Naruto, Keith Haring and more.'
In 2024, performer Lisa, a member of the K-Pop girl group Blackpink, was spotted with a Labubu hanging from her handbag, an appearance that has been credited for the craze that erupted over the dolls in Southeast Asia and made its way to the U.S. market.
The BBC reported last month that Lababu sales in the U.S. were up by 5,000% compared to a year earlier. The demand has also led to counterfeit Labubus, commonly known as Lafufus.
Blind boxes are not new, however. There are entire YouTube channels dedicated to unboxing blind bags and boxes with toys from the likes of Disney, Funko and L.O.L Surprise! The rush of getting the toy you want might be a familiar feeling to those who collected Pokemon cards or sports trading cards in the 1990s, when finding a rare card could mean big status — or big money in the resale industry.
Monica Espinoza said watching Mila collect Labubus reminds her of her own childhood, when she collected Beanie Babies.
'I collected too many Beanie Babies, actually, and I have donated some of them to children's charities,' Espinoza said. 'I also would not play with my Beanie Babies, I would only display them.'
She said her daughter must complete chores to earn Labubus. She also encourages her to treat them like toys, not collectibles, so Mila doesn't miss out on playing with her plushies the way she did.
'I am totally good with her getting these dirty and just loving on them, which is very different from what I did,' Monica said.
For many, Labubus are seen as a means of connection.
Morning Lavender owner Kim Le Pham said organizing the 'Lavender & Labubu' event was a way to bring her customers and Labubu collectors together.
'Here at Morning Lavender we are all about creating community experiences and we noticed a lot of our customers come in with their own Labubus, just shopping here or for tea service, so we wanted to do a summer event,' Pham said.
Pham has family members who collect Labubus and she admits she opened her first one a week before the event. She wears it clipped to a lanyard around her neck.
Morning Lavender sold Labubu-sized clothing as part of their boutique merchandise for the special day and its attached coffee and tea shop offered special Labubu drinks and pastries. Each purchase earned a raffle ticket for the chance to win a new Labubu.
Attendees could also get their picture taken with Labubu characters or pose their doll in the Labubu Lavender Cafe doll house, a Labubu-sized home Pham and her marketing team created that was modeled after the coffee shop and boutique. Labubus could be positioned in tiny chairs at a table set with pastries or shop clothing racks of miniature clothes.
Pham said the staff had anticipated a large turnout and saw both new and already existing customers, even some who drove nearly three hours for the event.
'Some of them are our core customers and local, but we also have Labubu lovers from all over Southern California here, which is really exciting,' said Pham. 'It is not only bringing in our community, but also bringing awareness to our brand.'
Other vendors at the event included Sweet Butter Coco Cookies owned by Jaimie Wong, who created Labubu- themed vanilla shortbread cookies with royal icing. She sold them in packaging that prevented customers from knowing which cookie they got, replicating the blind box presentation of Labubus.
'There's a total of seven different types you could pick up, including one mystery cookie,' said Wong. 'I threw in about three mystery cookies out of the 200 cookies that I made.'
Wong sold out of the Labubu cookies, which she said are quite tedious to create.
'They definitely take a lot of time to make; it's a lot of layers,' Wong said.
Morning Lavender's 'Lavender & Labubu' event was so successful that the brand is planning a second event at its San Diego location in Solana Beach on Aug. 10 from 2 to 6 p.m.
A large turnout is anticipated.