Toys themed on Labubu, a popular furry doll from Chinese toy company Pop Mart, are pictured during the opening ceremoy of a new offline store of Pop Mart in Bangkok, Thailand, July 5, 2024. (Xinhua/Sun Weitong)
Industry observers see POP MART's rise in Italy as part of the broader "Guochao" (China-chic) movement, which merges traditional Chinese motifs with contemporary design. Italian media have remarked that POP MART's visual language "shares the same frequency" as Milan's fashion culture, allowing a once-niche toy to leap into the mainstream.
MILAN, Sept. 14 (Xinhua) -- Alice had driven more than an hour from Alessandria to Milan, hoping to try her luck. For her, Labubu wasn't just another toy, it was the latest trend everyone seemed to be chasing, a playful accessory that carried a surprising touch of fashion.
Marta, a Milan local, was luckier. After winning a purchase slot through an online lottery, she rushed to the store on Corso Buenos Aires, Milan's busiest shopping street, the next day. Cradling her Blind Box, she resisted the urge to open it on the spot. "You see Labubu everywhere on the street now," she said. "It's a trend, an accessory, and a toy at the same time."
They were just two among the many shoppers standing in lines that often stretched for dozens of meters outside POP MART's glass-fronted shop on Corso Buenos Aires. Behind the window, the wide-eyed, "ugly-cute" character Labubu stared back, while inside, the scene bustled like a metro station at rush hour.
The Beijing-based designer toy company opened its first Italian flagship in July 2024. Less than a year later, in June 2025, it expanded with a pop-up at Rinascente department store. A second permanent store is already in the works.
"The atmosphere has been fantastic-vibrant and full of energy," said Marco Ardizzone, POP MART's sales director for Southern Europe. "Most customers come from Milan, but we also see people from Bergamo, Venice, Turin, even Rome and Naples. We have queues outside every day, and this trend isn't stopping anytime soon."
Leading the craze is Labubu, a "ugly-cute" figure from POP MART's "Monsters" collection. Created by Hong Kong-born, Netherlands-raised designer Kasing Lung, the character's whimsical narrative universe has resonated strongly with young Italians.
"It blends really well with our local clients. They love the storytelling," Ardizzone noted. For many fans, Labubu offers both self-expression and emotional companionship.
Industry observers see POP MART's rise in Italy as part of the broader "Guochao" (China-chic) movement, which merges traditional Chinese motifs with contemporary design. Italian media have remarked that POP MART's visual language "shares the same frequency" as Milan's fashion culture, allowing a once-niche toy to leap into the mainstream.
People view Labubu products of Pop Mart displayed at the 2025 China International Fair for Trade in Services (CIFTIS) in Beijing, capital of China, Sept. 12, 2025. (Xinhua/Chen Yehua)
From crowd-control queues to online "winning" pages for purchase slots, Labubu has become part of Milan's daily life. The craze highlights three intersecting forces in the city: a growing appetite for "ugly-cute" aesthetics, a hunger for open-ended storytelling, and a desire for social participation through collecting and sharing.
While Labubu leads the charge, POP MART is betting on a broader mix of characters and collaborations to keep Italian fans engaged. For the brand, Milan is both a market and a message: proof that Chinese pop culture can thrive in dialogue with Italy's fashion-driven identity.
Back on Corso Buenos Aires, the shop sees fresh lines forming day after day -- families with children, students in streetwear and office workers on lunch breaks. Small figures move from box to hand to social feed, weaving a Chinese-created icon into Milan's cultural fabric.
A single purchase
