Kasing Lung

If you named the top global cultural influences of 2025, it’s almost certain you’d put Labubu very close to the top of that list. The jagged-toothed monster—she’s not a rabbit—has been seen cradled by and hanging off the handbags of the likes of Naomi Osaka and Blackpink’s Rosé and Lisa, and in collabs with brands including Moynat and Coca-Cola. In June 2025, a 1.3m-tall figurine sold at auction in Beijing for 1.08 million yuan (US$152,000).

The creature’s creator is Hong Kong native Kasing Lung, a Netherlands-raised, Belgium-based artist who started his professional journey as a book illustrator. Labubu was the first character he created for a trio of picture books, The Monsters Trilogy, peopled (or possibly monstered) by characters inspired by the Nordic folklore he read growing up—particularly, he told Tatler for our July 2025 cover story, tales about clumsy trolls.

Despite the demands of his hugely successful creation and her fans, Lung also makes time to work on another form of creative expression: painting. He has found a supporter in the form of Takashi Murakami, the Japanese artist similarly known for commercialising his art, whose gallery has hosted a number of Lung’s exhibitions.