Feature | Konsum
Published on: 15. July 2025

Consumption: Why Chinese 'kidult' aesthetics take global pop culture by storm

China's social media is full of AI-generated nostalgia. "Back then, we didn't have smartphones and tablets. Only paper airplanes and good friends," writes one user on Xiaohongshu.

China's designer figure Labubu is just the tip of the iceberg of a new Chinese pop culture. Their cute aesthetics satisfy a longing for emotional retreat in complex times.. This is also understood abroad.

Fabian Peltsch

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Last updated: 24. July 2025

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