In the world of high fashion, trends often come dressed in sleek silhouettes, power tailoring, or cutting-edge minimalism. But for fall 2025, the accessory turning heads isn’t a statement bag or a boundary-pushing shoe—it’s something much more whimsical. From the Paris runways to Milan’s glossy stages, dolls, plush toys, and soft critters have found themselves dangling from the arms of top models and tucked under designer arms like the most luxurious of handbags. This season, fashion has made a surprising turn toward the playful, reviving an innocence that many of us had long stored away in memory boxes and childhood bedrooms.
It started subtly, with brands like Kenzo and Simone Rocha sending out collections dotted with stuffed animals—sometimes functioning as handbags, other times sewn directly into garments like wearable companions. Then came Fendi, reimagining beloved childhood figures in designer form, with dolls reminiscent of Cabbage Patch Kids reinterpreted through a luxury lens. At Coach, creative director Stuart Vevers embraced the theme head-on, showcasing bunny slippers and fuzzy critters that felt like they had leapt straight from a dream into the spotlight. Perhaps the most viral of them all? The Labubu dolls—quirky, wide-eyed figures that swung from leather bags and peeked out from trench coat pockets, spotted across fashion capitals throughout fashion month 🧸.
To many, this trend may seem frivolous or even absurd in a world so steeped in real-life stress and global tension. But for people like fashion historian Ruby Redstone, the emotional appeal of these accessories runs far deeper. She’s been a lifelong toy collector—someone whose fascination with toys led her not only into the fashion archives but also into the universe of artists like Takashi Murakami and Yoshitomo Nara. While she typically avoids reducing fashion trends to psychological reactions, even she acknowledges that today’s fashion climate feels uniquely fraught. In such times, the joy of clutching something that reminds you of your childhood, that makes people smile without explanation, can feel like more than just a style choice. It becomes a form of resistance—a personal dose of serotonin in a world that often feels bleak.
Luxury fashion has long relied on emotional storytelling, and this season is no different. But rather than telling stories of power or wealth, designers seem to be inviting us to reconnect with our softer sides. There’s a unique kind of comfort in wearing something that doesn’t signal ambition or status, but rather safety, memory, and play. A fuzzy charm hanging off a Birkin or a cartoonish doll perched in a handbag’s front pocket says something very human—it says you remember joy, and you’re not afraid to show it 🐻.
Sotheby’s fashion expert Lucy Bishop sees this trend as a direct response to the ever-growing pressure of adulthood. For many consumers—especially millennials and Gen Z—life has become a nonstop barrage of expectations: career success, digital perfection, financial security, and social relevance. In this environment, a doll isn’t just cute—it’s defiant. It reminds the world that comfort still matters, that levity isn’t trivial, and that escapism can be just as stylish as power dressing. Whether it’s a fuzzy animal purse or a charm shaped like your favorite cartoon character, these items allow wearers to carry a bit of their emotional history with them.
There’s also the undeniable pull of nostalgia. For a generation raised on Hello Kitty, Tamagotchi, UglyDolls, and Saturday morning cartoons, these designs aren’t just whimsical—they’re deeply familiar. Many never got to fully engage with those childhood trends the first time around, due to financial constraints or social norms. Now, in adulthood, they’re reclaiming that lost joy through luxury. It’s no surprise that the resale market is suddenly buzzing with activity around past charm fads—like Fendi’s Bag Bugs or Givenchy’s Bambi keychains. Collectors are snatching up these items not just for their novelty, but because they represent a time when joy was simple, and identity wasn’t yet a performance 🎠.
Interestingly, this movement sits in curious contrast to fashion’s recent obsession with “quiet luxury” and the capsule wardrobe philosophy. For the past several seasons, minimalism has been the holy grail—think neutral tones, clean tailoring, and serious silhouettes that whisper wealth without shouting it. But even among the most style-conscious, a fatigue seems to have crept in. Dressing like a CEO has its moments, but what happens when being a CEO no longer feels aspirational? In a world where homeownership is a fantasy and job stability feels like a mirage, the desire to look “put-together” starts to lose its shine. Instead, many are embracing the emotionally resonant and visually playful. If adulthood feels delayed, why not dress like it?
It’s also worth noting the generational role reversal quietly happening in parallel. As Bishop points out, today’s tweens are obsessed with adult aesthetics—curating skincare routines, shopping luxury lip glosses, and following beauty influencers with clinical-level dedication. Meanwhile, their older siblings and even parents are reaching back in time, buying plush accessories and cartoon charms with unabashed enthusiasm. It’s not about regression; it’s about rebalancing. As culture pushes us to grow up too fast, fashion gives us permission to pause, and to delight in things we thought we’d outgrown 🎈.
Still, as Redstone reminds us, this desire to decorate ourselves with meaningful trinkets isn’t exactly new. Long before the modern purse charm or novelty bag existed, women in the Middle Ages carried “chatelaines”—waist-hung chains adorned with scissors, mirrors, keys, and decorative baubles. These weren’t just tools—they were expressions of taste and identity. That impulse hasn’t changed. What’s different is the medium. Today’s expression of self might come in the form of a cartoon character or a stuffed animal with a designer tag, but the impulse is just as ancient and universal: to make the everyday feel a little more enchanted ✨.
More than just a playful quirk, this trend is revealing something honest and emotionally intelligent about the current fashion landscape. It tells us that people are tired—not just of the world, but of pretending they aren’t. It invites vulnerability. It encourages joy. And it doesn’t care if it looks a little silly doing it. So next time you see someone at a café with a doll clipped to their luxury tote or a fuzzy rabbit keychain swinging from a backpack, don’t laugh. Smile. Maybe even ask where they got it. There’s a good chance it reminds them of a time they felt completely safe, and that might just be the most fashionable feeling of all.