The accessory of the moment? Bag charms — ranging from kawaii plushies to sophisticated miniatures — are conquering it-girls, social media and the major maisons. But how exactly has this micro-trend become a movement within the world of luxury?
From bite-size to high-fashion charm
The phenomenon gained momentum with the Labubu dolls, created by Kasing Lung and licensed by Pop Mart. They emerged as symbols of pop nostalgia and were swiftly embraced by celebrities such as Rihanna, Lisa (Blackpink) and Dua Lipa — particularly when paired with Louis Vuitton and Bottega Veneta bags.
Platforms like TikTok and Pinterest fuelled the craze: searches for “bag charms” soared by 168% on Google and by 700% on Pinterest in just a single year.
Naomi Osaka took the concept onto the US Open court with a Labubu encrusted with 3,000 crystals, nicknamed “Billie Jean Bling”, cementing its place in the realm of contemporary luxury.
Luxury brands embrace — and reinvent
Hermès, Fendi, Coach, Miu Miu and Loewe have transformed bag charms into aesthetic extensions of their creations. Louis Vuitton, for instance, launched charms featuring Yayoi Kusama’s artwork, while Miu Miu placed the accessories centre stage in their runway shows.
Coach introduced “charm bars” in-store, encouraging customers to personalise their experience — a strategy that turned small items into sales drivers, increasing both frequency and revenue.
A micro-accessory with macro impact
The trend encapsulates expressive aesthetics, individuality and sentimental marketing. Experts call them a “power statement”: bag charms are symbolic both emotionally and visually.
In a post-pandemic world, they provide comfort and optimism — an accessible form of dopamine dressing that disrupts the minimalism which has dominated recent years.
The marketing and profitability play
Bag charms have proven to be a powerful commercial lever: on wholesale platform JOOR, charm sales grew twelvefold and the number of brands offering them tripled in 2025.
Customisation acts as an emotional trigger: “making things beautiful and fun is practically mandatory nowadays”, says Rachel Middleton, founder of the label String Ting.
Bag charms are emerging as icons of an era in which luxury, personality and emotional storytelling intertwine. In a fragmented consumer world, they serve as a “memory album on your handbag” — emotional, current and utterly desirable.
