As Sarah Jessica Parker just learned, a Labubu is a collectible plush toy monster elves created by Hong Kong-born, Dutch-raised designer Kasing Lung, sold by the Chinese toy company Pop Mart. Originally released a decade ago as part of Lung's story series The Monsters, the dolls have gone mega-viral this year as a fashion accessory. This has, of course, led to crossover K-pop merch.
The clothing brand Sacai and the massive K-pop boy band Seventeen recently released a co-branded limited edition Labubu capsule collection. Fourteen lots went up for auction on Pharrell Williams' platform Joopiter, where, as Women's Wear Daily reports, one of them fetched a record $31,250. The lots were sold in "blind box" format. Each of them include an exclusive Pop Mart x How2work acid green edition Labubu; 13 of them are wearing custom beige Sacai x Carhartt WIP looks, and there's one secret version adorned in "an undisclosed distinctive colorway."
It's all released in conjunction with Seventeen's new album Happy Burstday. In addition to the custom Labubus, the auction included a Sacai-designed jacket seen in Seventeen’s Pharrell-produced "Bad Influence" video, which sold for $9,500, and a T-shirt signed by 11 of the group's members, which went for $4,500. (It feels like 11 designers is too many for one T-shirt, but I'm no fashion expert.) Net proceeds will be donated to UNESCO, the United Nations Organization for Education, Science, and Culture; Seventeen and Pharrell are both goodwill ambassadors for the organization.
Congrats to all the lucky Labubu bidders.
@callherdaddy You heard it here first ladies and gentlemen ?
♬ original sound - Call Her Daddy
