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South China Morning Post

Blackpink's Lisa and influencer Bryanboy love collectibles: even Thai Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra is into the burgeoning designer toy scene started by 90s Hong Kong designers

Fashion is toying with a new craze. In the past few months social media has been awash with images of editors, celebrities and influencers showing off their latest plush toys, from Labubu dolls (Bryanboy and Blackpink's Lisa are fans, and the company has collaborated with fashion labels such as Pronounce) to Jellycats. Galeries Lafayette in China has pioneered a new 'comfort shopping' area called Gift Market, which is packed with customers shopping for cuddly toys such as TeddyTales. Even Bottega Veneta played homage to the trend at its spring/summer 2025 show, where seats were replaced with a playful menagerie of animal-shaped beanbag chairs chosen specifically for each guest. Labubu dolls are popular keychains and bag charms. Photo: Handout Advertisement It's not just the fashion world that is embracing these symbols of youth though. Grown-ups everywhere are recapturing their childhood by investing in toys that bring them joy. Chinese firm Pop Mart, which sells collectible designer toys including Labubu and the Molly series, achieved record sales and profits last year. Experts are predicting that the collectable toy market will reach US$38.2 billion by 2034. 'The democratisation of prices has encouraged a broader audience to own collectable toys. For women there's been a rise in collectable bag charms driven by K-pop. Blind-box toys – where you buy a sealed box and don't know which specific toy from a series you are getting – are also popular, especially as people enjoy sharing on social media,' says Bryan Fok, head of supply acquisition, Greater China, for StockX, which sells various collectibles. Michael Lau's design for Baby Milo, created for Bape's 25th anniversary. Photo: Handout So how did toys transition from playpens into must-have accessories and collectible keepsakes for adults? Experts say the trend originated in Hong Kong, a global centre for toy manufacturing in the 1970s and 80s. A wave of creativity followed in the 90s, when local artists like Eric So and Michael Lau pioneered a new category of toys that embraced innovative design and modern culture, attracting an entirely new audience. Amuseables Val & Tina Love Locks by Jellycat. Photo: Handout 'At the time, street culture was booming,' says Lau, who has been dubbed the 'Godfather of the Designer Toy'. 'My painting exhibitions were not so well received, and I was thinking about the next step in my creative journey. I thought, why not combine my passion for toy collecting with street culture to create a medium of my own, and present a different version of art?' Inspired by the popularity of G.I. Joe action figures, Lau launched The Gardener series in 1999, a limited edition, adult-focused collection of 12-inch figurines that showcased toys as a new art medium. Collections from other artists such as So – whose series of collectable Bruce Lee figurines blurred the lines between art, design and objects – became just as popular. It wasn't long before more collectable toys began to emerge from Japan. While old-school creations such as Hello Kitty, Little Twin Stars and Pokémon attracted a younger audience, newer designs immediately struck a chord with an older crowd.