A special two-day Labubu pop-up took place from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday at Gangnam Market, an Asian produce store located at 1001 W. Chicago Ave.
The pop-up gave customers a chance to shop for authentic Labubu figurines and accessories and even book a tattoo for their monsters with a guest tattoo artist.
The market collaborated with Build Your Collectibles (BYC), resellers of authentic Labubus from Pop Mart, who supplied the Labubus for this weekend’s event.
Surrounded by a steady crowd, the figurines were displayed across three tables in front of a food court. A bright Christmas tree decorated with mini “Pin for Love” Labubus added to the setup.
Shoppers browsed items priced from $15 to more than $150, including well-known Labubu series like “Exciting Macaron” and “Coca-Cola,” as well as exclusive releases like “Wacky Mart” and “Hide and Seek in Singapore,” which are rarely available in Illinois Pop Mart and resale stores.
The event brought in many children with parents in addition to college students, couples and friends.
Ashlie Arndt, a Chicago resident attending with her children, said she enjoyed browsing the display as it offered a different perspective to seeing Labubus online.
“I liked being able to see all of the different varieties that they have, because I’ve never seen them in person, and I had no idea that there were so many different varieties, and I liked being able to see the outfits,” Arndt said.
Naia Willis, a Chicago resident shopping with her mom, went home with a set of the Labubu “Exciting Macaron” and “Disney Stitch Little Emotion” series. She also enjoyed the accessories available at the market, her favorite being the Alo brand Labubu clothing.
“I really like how they’re really cute. And you can wear them on your bags or personally customize them in any way,” Willis said regarding the figurines.
The market also flew in LA-based tattoo artist Hunter Chao, who goes by “crybabyhunter” on social media. Chao was one of the first artists to tattoo Labubu figurines and offered $25 custom designs during the event.
Chao’s favorite part of the job is connecting with fans.
“Everyone’s always very kind and nice, and they make me feel very special,” he said.
The artist has been doing fewer Labubu tattoos recently to make each experience feel more exclusive. He chose to appear at Gangnam Market because of his personal connection with BYC.
“For Chicago, I wanted it to be specifically with Gangnam Market,” he said.
Leena Loo, a Chicago resident, and Hailey Meadows, a Plainfield resident, were excited to see the variety of figurines at the event and considered buying a Labubu because of Chao’s tattoos.
“They also have Sonny Angels, and I’m kind of in with that right now,” Loo said.
“I love the Sonny Angels too, but she doesn’t have a Labubu,” Meadows said.
“Yeah, I don’t have one, but the tattooing is making me want one,” Loo said.
For future events at Gangnam, those interested can explore Gangnam Market’s Instagram page which can be found through the market’s website.
