The Mini Accessory Movement in India's Fashion Scene

India's fashion landscape has undergone a subtle yet significant transformation over the past year. Across cities and social feeds alike, a proliferation of miniature accessories, mobile phone charms, Crocs pins, bag trinkets, belt embellishments, and who can forget the infamous Labubus, has captured the imagination of a style-conscious generation. Far from being merely a fleeting novelty, this movement signals a profound shift in how young Indians approach personal style; through hyper-personalisation, modular aesthetics, and the quiet power of small, intentional details.

Mohit Jain, Founder & CEO of fashion label Miraggio, has witnessed this evolution firsthand. "Over the last year, we've noticed that people, especially the younger audience, are looking for fun and easy ways to express their personal style. Yes, there's definitely a touch of Y2K nostalgia in it, but what's driving it now is the need for individuality and small, meaningful details that make an outfit feel personal." 

Whilst Y2K nostalgia certainly plays a part, think bedazzled flip phones and beaded bag straps, the contemporary iteration runs deeper. Today's mini-accessory enthusiasts aren't simply mining the past; they're crafting intimate, ever-evolving narratives through carefully curated embellishments that transform everyday items into personal canvases.

In hard numbers, the broader accessories market in India has been rising steadily which creates fertile ground for niche categories like bag charms and phone trinkets to flourish. According to recent industry estimates by Grand Research, the overall fashion-accessories market in India was worth around USD 14,739.4 million in 2024 and is forecast to reach close to USD 24,313.8 million by 2030, growing at a compound annual growth rate of roughly 9 per cent.

Meanwhile, segments tied to phones and personal gadgets — think mobile charms, quirky cases, and other add-ons — sit within the country’s expanding mobile-accessories market, which recorded USD 3.09 billion in 2024, according to IMARC Group.

From Street Markets to Style Statements

The roots of this phenomenon lie not in high-fashion runways but in India's vibrant thrift and street-market culture, or rather the opposite. Elite hype around Labubus and Croc charms has led to these items becoming democratized and now being sold either as first-copies, fakes or subsidised dupes, from local stores to even roadside thrift stalls.

Delhi's Sarojini Nagar and Mumbai's Colaba Causeway, long-established hubs for bargain hunters, have become unexpected incubators of micro-accessory fashion. What were once modest stalls selling basic keychains have transformed into treasure troves of chain charms, Labubu replicas, and whimsical creature figurines.

A shopkeeper at a bustling accessory stall in Sarojini Nagar observed, "Ladkiyan aate hain bas charm lene, pouches mein chipkaane ke liye. Pehle itna variety nahi tha," (Girls come to take charms to stick on their pouches) highlighting the explosion in both demand and variety. In Colaba Causeway, another vendor noted, "Labubu waale chain ab bahut bikte hain, log Instagram pe bhi dikhana chahte hain apni jewellery-bag styling." (Labubu chains sell a lot as people want to show their jewellery bag styling on Instagram).

These humble market stalls thus have inadvertently become laboratories for micro-trends, where accessibility meets aspiration.

A Small Movement with Substantial Meaning

The mini-accessory wave has also been turbo-charged by pop-culture references and the kind of viral burst only social media — and celebrity spotlighting — can catalyse. The quirky creature-toy Labubu, originally part of a collectible-toy line, has emerged as one of the emblematic icons of this movement — popping off handbags, backpacks and even phone cases globally, and in India. International celebs like Rihanna and Dua Lipa carrying it on their bags at airport, Indian social media icons like Urvashi Rautela carrying a Labubu and global fashion media helped shift Labubu from collectible-toy niche to mainstream accessory icon.

Social media has amplified this movement exponentially. Fashion content creator Tanshi articulates the appeal with clarity: "I started clipping little chain charms on my phone, my bag, even my denims — it's like building a tiny world of your own. It's not about being extra; it's about telling a story through these small, cute details."

For Tanshi’s generation, these miniature embellishments serve as affordable tools for aesthetic curation—subtle signifiers of mood, identity, and even nostalgia that often communicate more authentically than conspicuous branding ever could. 

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Charm sellers, small wholesalers showcasing “insane” charm-haul videos on platforms like Instagram, and dedicated charm-first brands have begun to proliferate in India, one of the most followed being Sonal Beads, signalling that the craze has moved firmly from novelty to a recognisable sub-category within fashion accessories.

Forward-thinking brands have recognised this evolution as an opportunity rather than a passing fad. Jain explains Miraggio's strategic response: "When we first started seeing buyers pair their bags with little accessories of their own, we realised they were looking for ways to personalise their bags beyond what we were offering. Consumers, especially Gen Z, don't just want to carry a bag, they want it to reflect their mood, personality or even the moment they're in."

He continues, "What really stood out is how this generation leans into self-expression in subtle yet meaningful ways. They enjoy the flexibility of switching things up, which is where modularity comes in. Charms give them the freedom to style their bag differently every day without having to buy something entirely new."

What began with collectible curiosities—Labubu dolls, quirky pins, simple plastic charms—has matured into a comprehensive micro-accessory movement. It bridges thrift-market spontaneity, digital aesthetic culture, and an increasingly sophisticated demand for meaningful, adaptable style. In an era often dominated by conspicuous consumption, India's embrace of miniature accessories suggests a refreshing alternative: fashion as an intimate, evolving conversation between self and style.