In a workshop in Nanning, capital of south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, a "Labubu" doll, one of the world's most sought-after art toys, stood proudly on a desk. But instead of its usual designer streetwear, it is dressed in a miniature wrap skirt and a silver-crowned headdress, all crafted from the centuries-old Zhuang brocade.

The "ethnic-style doll couture" is part of a surging trend in 2025, where traditional Chinese craftsmanship is finding a massive new market through "emotional consumption." In May 2025 alone, sales of doll apparel on a major Chinese e-commerce platform surpassed 10 million yuan (about 1.4 million U.S. dollars).

"Youngsters nowadays customize outfits for their trendy dolls, which carry both childhood nostalgia and a sophisticated cultural aesthetic," said Ji Yingqi, who runs the workshop.

FROM TRADITIONAL FESTIVALS TO VIRAL TRENDS

As tourists and ethnic groups in Guangxi celebrated the Double Third Festival last year, a landmark cultural celebration on the third day of the third lunar month, Ji's workshop, which initially specialized in brocade magnets, saw its new Zhuang-style doll headdresses vanish from shelves in an instant.

The momentum hit a turning point in May after a customer posted a photo of her Labubu doll in a custom Zhuang outfit on social media, garnering over 100,000 views within a day.

"The comment section was flooded with people asking for the purchase link," Ji recalled. The digital buzz translated into 200 online orders in the first month alone, while her physical shop averaged 30 sets daily.

In Liuzhou, artisan Lu Xueqi translates museum-grade phoenix and butterfly patterns into miniature fashion for her community of 150 enthusiasts. Her latest museum-inspired designs, released in batches of 180 sets, sell out within mere hours.

OLD MASTERS ON NEW TRACK

The trend has also attracted national-level intangible cultural heritage inheritors. Tan Xiangguang, in her 70s, is a master of Zhuang weaving, a craft dating back to the Han Dynasty (202 BC-220 AD). She has begun displaying doll clothing alongside her luxury tapestries.

"Zhuang brocade is known for its vibrant colors and auspicious patterns like dragons and phoenixes," Tan said. "Using it for doll clothes gives the toys a unique cultural identity that caters to young people's desire for individuality."

Zhu Shaoyan, another inheritor of intangible cultural heritage, recently received an order for 1,000 sets of Zhuang-style doll clothing from an ASEAN business association. "I didn't want our traditional crafts to be absent from this new trend," Zhu said.

The rise of ethnic doll clothing is backed by a booming "emotional consumption" market. A 2025 industry report suggests this sector is growing at a compound annual growth rate of 12 percent, with the market size expected to exceed 2 trillion yuan in 2025.

As Tan Xiangguang put it, "the popularity of a specific toy may fade, but the fusion of intangible heritage with new trends will continue. These elements possess a charm that transcends time."