Stylist Divyak D’Souza On How He Got To Labubus Much Before The World Did

I KNOW THIS IS GOING TO SOUND LIKE A BIT OF a reach, but the fact is, I heard about Labubus before they really became a thing. I first saw Blackpink’s Lisa holding these giant toys in April last year. Now I know better—one of them was actually a Zimomo, technically, but from the same family of characters. I remember thinking, “What is this strange-looking toy?”

That same April, I ended up on a trip to Seoul. I was travelling through South Korea, and everywhere I looked, I saw these little toys. At the time, I had no idea that some of them were Lafufus or even that they weren’t original Pop Mart toys. I didn’t even know what Pop Mart was back then, but I started picking them up just because I thought they were a little creepy—not your traditionally cute-looking toy, right?

I’ve always loved irreverence in fashion. Even as a stylist—I’ve been doing this for 16 years—I don’t take fashion, or even my own wardrobe, too seriously. Style should come naturally, and it should be fun; it should be about self-expression. For me, these little toys were exactly that. They’re not conventionally cute— they’re not teddy bears or Barbie dolls. They don’t follow the typical aesthetic of what’s “pretty”. And that’s what drew me in—that little bit of playful irreverence.

It’s almost like a low-key “f**k you” to fashion. That’s been the instant appeal for me. I like mixing media when I style bags. Just yesterday, I found this keychain with a Chucky doll—hilarious, creepy and always a conversation-starter. I’ll mix it with other things, like this Ritu Kumar scarf I hadn’t used in a while, or a Ritika Sachdeva jewellery piece.

Styling my handbag has become its own little hobby—sometimes it takes longer to do that than to dress myself. It takes me back to middle school arts and crafts: putting beads on thread, creating charms, clipping a toy car onto my purse.

I’ve seen people put them on belt loops, luggage, custom-made clothes. Someone even tie-dyed their Labubu. And honestly, all of that’s cute—but for me, it’s just about joy. In a world full of chaos and headlines that feel like Armageddon, I think grown-ups are just trying to find joy in small ways. That’s what this is. So, wear it, shelf it, gift it—whatever brings you joy.

As told to Mayukh Majumdar

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