Bag Charms: A Fashion Trend Built by Influencers

Introduction

A $22 furry monster with nine teeth dangling off a Prada bag became one of 2025's biggest fashion stories. No ad agency planned it. Influencers and celebrities wrote the whole script, turning a quirky collectible into a must-have accessory almost overnight. The bag charm craze is a near-perfect case study in how trends are actually born now.

Here is how bag charms took over, why creators drove it, plus what brands can learn from the whole thing.

What the trend is

Bag charms have crept back into fashion since late 2024, moving from runway cameos to fully owning street style. The breakout star is Labubu, a small, sharp-eared monster created in 2015 by Hong Kong-born artist Kasing Lung and sold by Chinese retailer Pop Mart through randomised blind boxes.

Priced around $22 at retail, demand pushed Labubu resale prices into the hundreds. Pop Mart reported a 726.6% revenue jump in 2024. The frenzy even spawned the Lafufu, a fake version with its own following, told apart by its packaging and tooth count, since a genuine Labubu has nine teeth. When knock-offs become their own trend, you know a craze has truly arrived.

Why it blew up

The trend was not built on advertising. It was built on people, plus a few deeper currents.

• Celebrity and creator proof. Labubu appeared on Rihanna, Dua Lipa, BLACKPINK's Lisa and David Beckham, with creators amplifying each sighting.
• Self-expression. Charms let people personalise even luxury bags, turning a status object into something individual.
• Nostalgia and comfort. Cute, collectible toys tap a craving for nostalgia amid economic uncertainty.
• Digital clout. A charm is made to be photographed, perfect fuel for social feeds.

The players

Labubu led, though the field is crowded. Here are the names driving the charm craze.

Sources: WWD, Coveteur, Faz Fashion, MKu Consulting, PureWow, Moffly. Prices and figures as reported.

What it means for marketers

The bag charm story carries real lessons for anyone running influencer marketing.

• Trends move at creator speed. This craze spread through real people showing off, not campaigns, so creators are the engine.
• Authenticity wins. Gen Z rejects forced trend-chasing, so partnerships have to feel genuine to land.
• Speed beats polish. Labubu fever cooled fast, so brands that move quickly capture the moment others miss.
• Pick relevance over reach. A relevant fashion creator drives a trend far better than a bigger, unrelated name.

How to use this with Flinque

If trends now move at creator speed, then catching one depends on finding the right creators before the moment passes. Not the biggest names. You want the fashion and lifestyle voices whose audience actually cares about this stuff and whose following is real rather than padded.

Flinque is built for exactly that. You can search 10M+ verified creators by niche to find fashion and accessory creators fast, run a fake follower check to confirm their audience is genuine, then benchmark engagement to back the ones with real pull. Move quickly, pick relevant creators, then ride the next bag charm instead of watching it go by.