In a world where tears are often seen as a sign of weakness, creator Molly uses Cry Baby to ask: Why do we hide our pain as if it were something to be ashamed of?

Seemingly just a passing trend, the bag charm craze has inevitably crept into the fashion mainstream. Along with the celebrity effect and the “healing economy” wave – where everything cute becomes spiritual medicine – hangers are now not just for decoration, but an important piece for a trendy bag. And with just a moment backstage after Coachella 2025, Lisa (BLACKPINK) made social media explode with the Cry Baby cherry charm peeking out from the strap of her LV bag. No advertising, no massive campaign, just an “accidental” moment, Cry Baby suddenly lit up all search results.

What is Cry Baby?

Cry Baby is not a doll, nor is she some harmless, adorable cartoon character. She is an emoticon born out of a real loss – when Molly fell into a state of depression over the loss of her beloved dog. In 2017, she drew a genderless, non-speaking character with only chubby cheeks, teary eyes, furrowed brows and a few freckles, as if all her sadness had been condensed into one face.

Molly once shared that she grew up in an environment where tears were considered a sign of weakness, and weakness was something to be hidden. But art, contrary to social norms, does not know how to be silent. The characters she created – with their brimming eyes, their uncontrollable tears – are her voice, ours, and everyone who has ever silently swallowed their tears. They cry for the emotions that are bottled up, for the times we pretend to be okay, for the wounds that have never had a name. Because sometimes, crying is also a way to survive. From the craft studio Molly&#39;s Factory, the first Cry Baby characters were hand-made, in limited quantities. But their message was limitless. Collaborating with Pop Mart - Asia&#39;s leading art toy brand - Cry Baby began to appear in the mass world, spreading to fashion, art, and lifestyle.

What makes Cry Baby so popular?

When it comes to turning Cry Baby into a global IP phenomenon, no one can deny Lisa’s role. Before Cry Baby exploded, Lisa was already a die-hard Pop Mart fan with an impressive collection of cartoon characters like Labubu. But it wasn’t until the singer showed her special love for Cry Baby on Instagram last year that the “ugly yet cute” character truly stepped out of the world of blind boxes and took over pop culture. From Sadness Club , Tear Factory to the Powerpuff Girls collaboration, Cry Baby quickly became a sought-after accessory in the fashion world. The highlight was after her eye-catching solo performance at Coachella 2025, Lisa posted a photo of herself wearing the LV x TM Speedy Bandoulière 25 bag on Instagram. Next to the cherry blossom pendant in collaboration with Takashi Murakami is a pair of twin Cry Babies in the shape of cherries - part of the limited Valentine&#39;s &quot;Cupid&#39;s Tears&quot; line from Pop Mart.

In fact, Lisa wore this accessory very early on, in an Instagram video with Aon Somrutai – the character known as “Thailand’s Paris Hilton”. At that time, she appeared in a pink and purple plaid suit, carrying a Louis Vuitton bag with two Cry Baby pendants. The tear-soaked cherries, once only available through a limited lottery, are now no longer available for purchase.

The other Cry Baby pendant on Lisa’s bag belongs to the Crying Rabbit character from the Tear Factory Vinyl Series . Not only Lisa, Filipino beauty icon Marian Rivera – who has over 13 million followers – has also shown off the same charm on her bag.

In the world of Crybaby, no tear is meaningless. “ If one day laughter is no longer enough to ease the pain, let’s cry together ” – the message from Pop Mart to fans. Crybaby doesn’t cry because it’s sad, it cries because it’s alive, because there are too many things that make us fragile. And it seems that tears are the hottest accessory this year.

Minnie ((G)I-DLE) has recently officially joined the colorful Crybaby universe . Participating in the show &quot;On Friends&quot;, the female idol wore a Powerpuff version of the Crybaby pendant, not hesitating to share that she couldn&#39;t buy her favorite character because it was... too hot. And so, the &quot;fairy godmother&quot; named Lisa appeared - playing big and giving it to her. The entire set of 6 pieces has no missing version. “ This is not an advertisement – this is real passion!” – Minnie emphasized. .

And then there are people like Taiwanese actress, model , and writer Quan Ying doesn’t just collect, but exhibits her entire Crybaby collection like a walking museum of emotions. <span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-weight: inherit; letter-spacing: 0px;">“Is anyone going to take me to the doctor for my addiction to collecting? I’m probably in the final stages, ” she jokes. But who knows, in this world, we’re all Crybaby to some degree—big kids, holding a treasure trove of emotions that have never been labeled, never been named. And Pop Mart, in a sweet and quirky way, has given them a form to exist.

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