Labubu dolls have been spotted dangling from Louis Vuitton and Saint Laurent purses as fashion’s quirky new status symbol , but their popularity could soon spell doom for the economy, an expert warns.

During economic downturns, consumers gravitate toward what experts call “affordable luxuries” — small, dopamine-spiking splurges that don’t break the bank — like lipstick, ice cream or movie tickets, studies have shown. 5

It’s sometimes called the “lipstick index” — and the creepy but cute mischievous dolls could be its latest iteration.

“When we’re seeing this kind of a craze in an uncertain economic climate — where consumer confidence is at best uneven and filled with anxiety — it’s hard not to look at this and try to think, ‘well, are people being rational?'” said David Lang,

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