Of Course Marc Jacobs Is Obsessed With Labubus Now

Labubus are having a moment. You know it. We know it. And Marc Jacobs knows it too. On Monday, while en route to his 2026 runway show, the American designer pulled up to the New York Public Library clutching a big, black Hermès Birkin 40. Covetable enough all on its own. But on this particular occasion, it was the Labubu dangling off his bag that truly stole the spotlight.

Released in June as part of Pop Mart’s ‘Wacky Mart Series’—a collection inspired by the kind of snacks you’d find in a Tokyo 7-Eleven—Jacobs’s Labubu takes the form of a crispy little tempura. It might look like just another collectible toy, but this one’s actually an AirPod case. And while his very expensive Birkie has been thoroughly beaten up, his Labubu remains pristine in its original packaging, safely shielded from the elements. Priorities, and all that.

Gilbert Carrasquillo

If you’re wondering why so many full-grown adults (and designers with vast archives of It bags) are so enamored with Labubus, you’re not alone. The appeal lies somewhere between nostalgia and absurdity: a pocket-size creature that feels part-horror movie gremlin, part-childhood plushie, and part-flex-worthy accessory. In other words, exactly the kind of irreverent statement piece that thrives on social media.

In recent months, Labubu sightings have multiplied, dangling off the tote bags of very famous people, standing guard on office desks, peeking out of coat pockets. Pop Mart, the Chinese collectibles giant behind the toy, has built a fervent fan base by turning “blind box” shopping into a high-stakes treasure hunt. Limited drops sell out within minutes, only to resurface on resale sites at triple the price.

Gilbert Carrasquillo

“I started collecting over a year ago, I can’t remember when exactly, but I remember it wasn’t as difficult to get them then as they are now,” the musician VAS LEON recently told British GQ. “What drew me to them were many things. The suspense of not knowing which one I was going to get when opening a box was one. It was also the search for the so-called ‘secret’ Labubu. Everyone loves something limited and not easily obtainable.”

And you know what? If anyone was gonna blow this trend up even bigger, it had to be Marc Jacobs. After all, this is the same guy who told Vogue back in 1989 that he “loves taking something tacky and making it luxe.” Nearly four decades later, he’s still a man of his word.

This story originally appeared on British GQ.