Politically, culturally, spiritually, let’s face it: 2025 has been a pretty weird year.
Did you attach a Labubu to your bag? Hire an Etsy witch? Shout “6-7” after hearing it from a tween, without knowing what it means? Same. And judging from the Vogue Business TikTok Trend Tracker, along with our coverage of the platform throughout the year, users around the world have leaned into a similar level of absurdity and surrealism on TikTok in 2025, as they sought connection and shared meaning via nostalgia, childlike products and esoteric, IYKYK ideas.
Brands are tapping in, chiming in in the comments section, or repurposing funny AI-generated images to be in on the joke and to drive increasingly important conversions on TikTok Shop, which has boomed this year, according to the platform. But it’s not all been plain sailing. TikTok was almost banned in the US this year, after months of back and forth with the Trump administration, the platform shut off for 24 hours in January, before being reinstated. Now, after several deadline extensions, the acquisition of TikTok from US investors has been stalled for months. Meanwhile, TikTok’s influence is only growing.
Where 2023 and 2024 were defined by micro-trends and vibes, from girl math to Brat, 2025 on TikTok is a little harder to define. Here, we look at what broke through on TikTok this year, using data from the Vogue Business TikTok Trend Tracker.
The year of the Labubu
2025 was the year of the Labubu. In April, the toothy, fluffy monsters from Hong Kong toy company Pop Mart exploded onto our feeds, across unboxing videos, collection reveals and style videos. There are currently 3.3 million posts referencing #Labubu on TikTok, garnering 1.1 billion views. While at the time, I asked “WTF is going on”, the phenomenon makes sense when you look at other TikTok trends this year.
Nostalgia, and with it childish, fun accessories have become a comfort to consumers in times of rising geopolitical tension and economic struggle. Plus, an offshoot from the bag charm trend of 2024, Labubus allowed increasingly price-sensitive shoppers to spice up their existing luxury pieces with fun and affordable additions.
While the Labubu trend has died down since its spring peak, we can expect more toy trends on TikTok in 2026. “Toys are basically the new sneakers, and people are buying up pieces to resell,” said journalist and strategist Tora Northman. “Smiski, Sonny Angel, Pop Mart have all become massive, and I think the blind-box concept is the reason that they’re all so exciting — it’s not just buying a toy, it’s taking part in the unboxing experience, and those videos also perform amazingly on TikTok.”
#Labubus #Brain #Rot #Unfolded #TikTok
