Why labubu dolls, Disney cartoons have become part of adult fashion

Mint

3 days ago

Open up a social media feed, and you are bombarded with blink-and-you-miss-it trends. There is one quirky movement, though, that's been enjoying a fan following among the stylish for months—the cuddly toy. Look around you—a small doll with a mischievous smile might be strapped to a work bag or a cartoon-ish motif is adding a pop of colour to a shirt in an office. Even mobile phones are getting more personality thanks to anime-inspired charm bracelets and covers. Cutesy toys and figurines in various shapes, sizes and colours from a child's world have entered the wardrobes of grown-ups.
Fashion is tapping into 'toycore"—the marriage of fashion and cuddlies. While luxury brands like Miu Miu, Judith Leiber and Hermès have long launched toy-centric charms and bags, more designers and fast-fashion brands are offering their interpretations in clothes.
Earlier this month, designer Kanika Goyal launched a limited edition collection in collaboration with Disney, aimed at adding the playfulness of Mickey Mouse and his friends to adult fashion that's fit for office, a brunch as well as an evening party. There's a two-tone jacket in denim blue and beige cotton to create concentric circles shaped like Mickey Mouse's ears that are filled with embroidery—pop culture meets streetwear.
'Disney characters are part of a shared global imagination. I grew up with them too—they weren't just cartoons. Childhood motifs act like emotional codes," Goyal says. 'We're living in a moment where people are looking for meaning and emotion in what they wear."
Besides the nostalgic value and the playfulness, the other big pull of toycore fashion is the opportunity to tell the world about your personal style or current mood. One of the best-sellers of the latest collection in Kazo, a Delhi-based occasionwear fashion brand, is a white-purple striped formal shirt with prints of Bambi and Thumper.
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'We were also a bit surprised to learn that people are interested in a formal shirt with a cartoon than a casual T-shirt," says creative director Divya Aggarwal. Her guess is the growing confidence among consumers to wear 'conversation-starter pieces that speak of their mood and help them stand apart."
Priyanka Sanghi, founder of Hair Drama Co., a homegrown luxury hair accessories boutique, offers a more detailed answer. 'Why would someone pick a charm shaped like a donut over one that's in the shape of an ice-cream? Your choice basically reflects your state of mind. Even an old bag becomes new if you add a small doll to the handle," she says.
Her brand started offering charms over a year ago, given their rising popularity. Today, she has over 400 types of charms that can be customised for hats, hair accessories, bracelets and everything in between. In a month, they sell at least 100 charms, shaped like Barbie, palm trees, bags, cartoon characters, chillies and more. Almost half of their clients buy for themselves; the rest, for their children.
'The cartoon/toy vibe has been around for a while—look at those colourful Japanese ice-cream parlours, China's boba bars, Korea's ramen cafes. What's changed now is that toys have become mainstream. The current trend around labubus is crazy."
Labubus are the viral China-made little Nordic elves with mischievous grins that many, like Sanghi, say led to the toycore fashion mania. The likes of David Beckham, Dua Lipa and Jahnvi Kapoor are all proud owners of labubus. So is Sanghi, who owns eight of them.
'It makes me feel like a child," says Sanghi, who turns 40 this year. 'I might be feeling a little down but a sight of a labubu (an original costs around ₹800, but can fetch up to ₹1 lakh on reseller sites) will instantly cheer me up; it's like having a pet. My friends are buying clothes for them."
At a time when the news of war and global warming is keeping the world on edge, it's not a stretch to imagine that a cute-looking fluff ball can offer some comfort, even if momentarily.
'It's like a permission to not take everything so seriously," Goyal says. 'It speaks to a quiet, collective urge to hold on to the parts of ourselves that are still curious and unfiltered, especially in a world that's constantly asking us to be composed and contained. And there's something incredibly comforting about wearing a piece that brings you back to a simpler time, even momentarily."
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