Sophie Mateer.
Sophie Mateer, Strategy Manager, Mamamia.
Labubus: the tiny creatures that look like feral elves who lost a battle with a glue gun - all sharp teeth, gangly limbs, and a chaos-cute vibe that makes you blink and ask, “What… is that?” Originally dreamed up by Hong Kong designer Kasing Lung for collectible art toy brand Pop Mart, Labubus have been cult icons across Asia for years — tucked inside blind boxes, traded obsessively by superfans, and fiercely coveted by design toy collectors. But recently, something shifted. Labubu didn’t break through with a blockbuster movie or a mass retail blitz. Instead, they crossed over into mainstream obsession through a quieter - and far more potent - force: women on the internet.
At Mamamia, we’ve seen this pattern before: a “niche” object suddenly becomes a cultural touchpoint, not because of marketing spend, but because women decided it mattered.In the digital trenches of 2025, Labubu is the object of desire. But not for children. This gremlin-esque figurine has captured the hearts (and wallets) of grown women - stylish, influential, trend-anointing women.
At first glance, Labubu feels like a random blip in the endless scroll of internet oddities. A toy, a fad, a “wait, why is this $300 on eBay?” kind of moment. But zoom out, and the Labubu craze reveals something smarter, deeper, and far more revealing: a cultural moment that says more about women, influence, and consumer power than it does about toys.
Women Didn’t Just Join the Internet - They Became Its Architects
Let’s get something straight: Labubu didn’t go viral because of its undeniable charisma (it’s got the visual appeal of a taxidermied Furby after a breakup). It went viral because it was curated, coded, and co-signed by women on platforms where they don’t just consume - they create. TikTok, Instagram - these aren’t just social networks. They’re marketplaces of mood, and women are the tastemakers-in-chief.
When a micro-influencer posts a dreamy desk setup featuring a Labubu perched next to a Glossier lip balm and a pastel Stanley cup, it’s not a product placement - it’s aesthetic telepathy. She’s not just saying “buy this.” She’s saying, “this is the world I live in - calm, creative, a little unhinged but in a cute way - and you’re invited.”
And people show up.
From Influence to Action: The Buy Button Is Emotional Now
In the age of algorithmic identity, influence isn’t about following trends - it’s about feeling them. A Labubu on your shelf isn’t just decoration. It’s a statement. It whispers, “I’m in the know, but not trying too hard.” It’s like wearing a Loewe puzzle bag with a thrifted tee, curated chaos, but make it aspirational.
Women are particularly fluent in this semiotic commerce. They see the story, not just the stuff. And when they engage with a trend, they don’t just double-tap it. They activate it. It’s the difference between a brand going viral for a day, and a brand quietly selling out for six months straight.
The Return of Play (Without Apology)
But why are so many women buying toys in the first place?
Because joy is finally trending again, and women are done asking permission for it. Millennials and Gen Zers are living through an era of ambient burnout. We're constantly told to optimise - our bodies, our finances, our calendars, even our hobbies. But toys like Labubu sidestep that hustle. They don’t ask for ROI. They just… sit there, being weird and cute and comforting.This isn’t regression. It's a reclamation. Grown women are leaning into play not as escapism, but as resistance. It’s saying: “I can be a boss, a mess, a caregiver, a creator and still want a funny little guy on my desk that makes me smile.” There’s a reason Lego now sells $300 flower arrangements for adults and squishmallows have become anxiety companions with their own fandoms. Women are redefining what maturity can look like.
The Female Economy Isn’t Niche - It Is the Market
Here’s the kicker: Labubu isn’t just a niche collectible anymore. It’s a case study in how women shape markets.
Want to see the future of commerce? Follow where women are quietly spending. From Stanley cups to BookTok bestsellers to Swifties crashing NFL ratings - when women care, markets move. Period. Labubu, ridiculous as it looks, is part of that lineage. It’s proof that when women decide something matters - whether it’s a skincare ingredient or a gremlin toy from a Hong Kong design house - it doesn’t just trend. It transforms. This isn't new, of course. It's just been historically dismissed. "Women's interests" are often talked about as frivolous, while men's are framed as serious business - even when both are driven by the same mechanisms of obsession and identity. (Let’s not pretend sneaker drops or fantasy football leagues are less irrational.)
At Mamamia, we’ve seen this cultural energy firsthand - women reshaping trends, rewriting influence, and redefining what power looks like in media, shopping, and identity. Labubu is just one more proof point in a long, growing list.
Final Thought: A Toy That Tells a Bigger Story
Labubu’s weird little face might seem like a strange place to land in a conversation about gender, power, and the economy. But that’s exactly the point. In 2025, women aren’t just participating in culture - they’re setting the tone, shaping the stories, and driving the transactions.
For marketers and advertisers, the message is simple: underestimate “women’s interests” at your peril. Because today, the consumer economy isn’t driven by what men take seriously - it’s powered by what women care about. And they’re not just liking trends anymore. They’re building them. Owning them. And turning them into billion-dollar moments.
