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Are Plush Charms In Your Life Now?



I cannot pinpoint the exact instance where "plush charms" became a trend, but for me personally I was clued into it (somewhat) thru "KPOP" - specifically when South Korean girl group Blackpink's Lisa posted on her socials Pop Mart's LABUBU - specifically Kasing Lung's The Monsters Macaron (vinyl face) blind box, a smaller sized plush that came with a key-chain clip!



With the Labubu figure clipped unto her designer luxury bag (and not just once either), and the next thing I know, my social media feeds were rife with (Pop Mart) plush of all kinds, which was further fueled by the madness of Labubu's popularity at this year's Thailand Toy Expo too!

Labubu was not the first clip-on plush that Pop Mart had produced though, but it does not matter "who came first", actually, as a "trend" had blossomed and "infected" the niche public at large! Even NewJeans had their "Supernatural" Pop-Up merch charming fans of the girl group, although it remains to be seen if this KPOP-mode crossed over with the toy scene...

NewJeans with plush

NEWJEANS X POWERPUFF GIRLS by Takashi Murakami

NewJeans X Powerpuff Girls Plush Chamrs
NewJeans X Powerpuff Girls Plush





So when I saw Gwenster's as-yet-named-character plush at Illustration Art Fest, I was aesthetic to see a local representation of the phenom (although it was not her intention at all for her prototype)! My thoughts immediately went to Eric Wirjanata's Slanted Toys with a trio of colorways of his LEMI THE SPACE WANDERER plush from 2010!



The notion of "key-ring" toys is not new though, as the backpack brand "Kipling" always came with a colored ape/gorilla-figurine clipped to the bag ... and as well Toy2R mini figure releases constantly came with (detachable) key-chain/key-rings, and with current key-ring-styled licensed media toy-makers include Hot Toys and Funko.... But I don't see many folks unboxing their toys to dangle from their luggage, innit?



An evolution to the "Bag Charm(s)" fashion trend earlier in 2024, which currently coincides with the accessorising of personal lifestyle and apparel, including clipping on fancy earrings to sneakers and hand-bags and backpacks, to showcase their identity and preference, moving beyond just mere (high) fashion, to something more "individualistic" and accessible and affordable everyman, your uniqueness embodied by what you have dangling from your sneakers and bags!v Sort of like a status symbol unlike the permanence of tattoos, methinks. And in this case; "PLUSH" figures!



Currently quirky-cute(sque) character plushies remain the primary focus, in a very female-oriented demographic, which in itself might well introduce a whole new group of "toy-collectors" to the toy-scene, or are already a convert (from collecting Pop Mart and similar blind boxed figures from likewise brands), and have no qualms about showing their support to the character designs, as much as guys wear their tee and apparel printed with their favourite comicbook or cartoon character, innit?

Til the next trend emerges, or if this trend will fades away into obscurity (Anyone else here remembers "cellphone charms"? Still here, folks!), here's Lisa introducing her Blackpink-bestie Rosé to Labubu...!



So are "plush charms" in your life now?

Cheers,
Andy TOYSREVIL
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