Labubu doll craze: The impact of doll aesthetics on fashion over the years
Dolls have long been woven into the fabric of childhood — styled, accessorised, and treated like first-best friends. This can also be seen with Labubu dolls. These furry, elf-like creatures with wide eyes were created by Hong Kong artist Kasing Lung as a part of his series The Monster in 2015. These furry dolls have rekindled the playful trend of nostalgic dressing and embracing our inner child, including celebrities like Ananya Panday, Lisa, Rihanna, and Dua Lipa, to name a few.
The doll influence extends beyond the toy box to how we accessorise and consume pop culture. As we gear up to celebrate World Doll Day on June 14, here's a look at this trend.
Maison Margiela's Artisanal 2024 collection by John Galliano at Paris Fashion Week featured models in porcelain doll makeup by makeup artist Pat McGrath. The look was all about white glass-like skin, '30s-inspired thin eyebrows, pastel eyeshadow, and ombré lips.
Marc Jacobs' Spring 2025 collection at New York Fashion Week had heavy doll-inspired themes — exaggerated proportions and playful silhouettes with a strong emphasis on footwear. Highlights included hyper-elongated toes on pumps and platform boots with pointed, upturned toes with bows.
Back home, designer Anita Dongre collaborated with Mattel to launch an Indian Barbie dressed in a floral lehenga-choli of her design, accessorised with golden bangles and earrings.
American singer Melanie Martinez is known for her very out-there fashion choices, especially for her album covers. Her debut album, Cry Baby, focused on a lot of doll-like elements. Even her songs, Cry Baby and Dollhouse, have the most doll-like aspects from the lyrics, music videos.
Singers Taylor Swift and Sabrina Carpenter, with their blonde hair and blue eyes, are even often dubbed 'real-life Barbie dolls.'
Japanese street culture
In Japan, the Lolita subculture, a fantasy child-inspired dress-up fashion, is very popular. Lolita itself refers to the practice of adult women dressing in excessively frilly, doll/ princess/ maiden-inspired clothing. It cropped up in the '90s and became a full-blown movement by the 2010s.
It's impossible to talk about dolls without mentioning the OG Barbie. From toys and dollhouses to movies, Barbie has been integral to countless childhoods. The 2023 release of the Barbie movie reignited her cultural impact, sparking the rise of Barbiecore — a hyperfeminine maximalist aesthetic centred on self-expression and empowerment. The trend brought back waves of pink, nostalgic accessories, and playful fashion.
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Dolls have long been woven into the fabric of childhood — styled, accessorised, and treated like first-best friends. This can also be seen with Labubu dolls. These furry, elf-like creatures with wide eyes were created by Hong Kong artist Kasing Lung as a part of his series The Monster in 2015. These furry dolls have rekindled the playful trend of nostalgic dressing and embracing our inner child, including celebrities like Ananya Panday, Lisa, Rihanna, and Dua Lipa, to name a few. The doll influence extends beyond the toy box to how we accessorise and consume pop culture. As we gear up to celebrate World Doll Day on June 14, here's a look at this trend. Maison Margiela's Artisanal 2024 collection by John Galliano at Paris Fashion Week featured models in porcelain doll makeup by makeup artist Pat McGrath. The look was all about white glass-like skin, '30s-inspired thin eyebrows, pastel eyeshadow, and ombré lips. Marc Jacobs' Spring 2025 collection at New York Fashion Week had heavy doll-inspired themes — exaggerated proportions and playful silhouettes with a strong emphasis on footwear. Highlights included hyper-elongated toes on pumps and platform boots with pointed, upturned toes with bows. Back home, designer Anita Dongre collaborated with Mattel to launch an Indian Barbie dressed in a floral lehenga-choli of her design, accessorised with golden bangles and earrings. American singer Melanie Martinez is known for her very out-there fashion choices, especially for her album covers. Her debut album, Cry Baby, focused on a lot of doll-like elements. Even her songs, Cry Baby and Dollhouse, have the most doll-like aspects from the lyrics, music videos. Singers Taylor Swift and Sabrina Carpenter, with their blonde hair and blue eyes, are even often dubbed 'real-life Barbie dolls.' Japanese street culture In Japan, the Lolita subculture, a fantasy child-inspired dress-up fashion, is very popular. Lolita itself refers to the practice of adult women dressing in excessively frilly, doll/ princess/ maiden-inspired clothing. It cropped up in the '90s and became a full-blown movement by the 2010s. It's impossible to talk about dolls without mentioning the OG Barbie. From toys and dollhouses to movies, Barbie has been integral to countless childhoods. The 2023 release of the Barbie movie reignited her cultural impact, sparking the rise of Barbiecore — a hyperfeminine maximalist aesthetic centred on self-expression and empowerment. The trend brought back waves of pink, nostalgic accessories, and playful fashion.
