Taylor Swift, Selena Gomez, Beyoncé, Charli XCX and basically every other celebrity you can think of is carrying the brand's best-selling bag.
Brooke Frisher ・18 hours ago
Brooke Frisher ・18 hours ago
Photos: Getty Images, Parkwood Entertainment, Courtesy of Aupen
Taylor Swift, Selena Gomez, Beyoncé, Charli XCX and basically every other celebrity you can think of is carrying the brand's best-selling bag.
Do you ever recognize a product before you know — or even can name — the brand that makes it? In "This Thing's Everywhere," we delve deep into these ubiquitous pieces and the impact they have on the businesses of their creators.
It's no secret that the handbag brands we typically see on the arms of celebrities are often gifted or loaned to them at no cost. It's a highly effective way for a designer to get their work photographed on the world's most influential people and showcased to their respective spend-happy fanbases. However, with the overwhelmingly high number of freebies being sent to A-listers every day, there's still an element of authentic attraction they need to feel toward an item to want to actually wear it — especially without the accompaniment of a major brand deal or hefty check to nudge them in that direction.
Singapore-based accessory brand Aupen — and more specifically, its Nirvana shoulder bag — has managed to capture the attention (and adoration) of dozens of the most visible and powerful celebrities in the world, pulling the gaze of stylistically varying stars like Taylor Swift, Beyoncé, Charli XCX and more.
"We have really positive relationships with people in the fashion industry, so we do give bags out to celebrities and influencers," says 35-year-old founder Nicholas Tan. "We also receive a lot of inbound requests. That's how the bags go out. It's up to them whether they do want to use it."
Aupen Nirvana Buckle Bag, $340, available here
Photo: Courtesy of Aupen
The sleek, asymmetrical style comes in a variety of fabrications and versions of its short, structured handle (though the most popular among celebs is the classic black leather version). The design is just slightly "off" enough to make a statement while maintaining the essence and look of a classic, non-restrictive, neutral handbag.
The purse's statuesque feel has much to do with Tan's initial design process. "When we create our products, we think of them as sculptures first," he explains. "I often sculpt the bag with felt and different paper molds before crafting them into leather molds…We feel that the contrast between the handle and the body of the bag really brings it to life. I think the asymmetry also brings a breath of fresh air into the current luxury market."
And though high-status celebrities continue to show their agreement through wearing the brand, Tan claims that isn't what makes him most proud when he sees them donning his work.
"We're so fortunate every time we see a new celebrity wearing it. From Beyoncé to Hailey Bieber to Selena Gomez to Lady Gaga and Taylor Swift," Tan says. "I think what warms [my heart] and excites me the most is the fact that these celebrities wear our bag so many times. They really love and use the product."
Photo: Courtesy of Aupen
After wearing the Nirvana bag at the summer wedding of Jack Antonoff and Margaret Qualley, Swift (who consistently re-wears favored pieces from her reportedly self-curated closet) sported the style again during her first public outing with boyfriend Travis Kelce back in October 2023.
Though Tan and his brand declined to provide any specific details on how a major moment like that contributed directly to any sales or followers on social media, the designer carefully (and somewhat vaguely) acknowledges there is a significantly felt impact.
"The product being seen collectively does add popularity and awareness for the brand. I think [these moments] have helped make us more visible," says Tan. "I do think, also, very importantly, that the design of our bag really speaks for itself. Because our bags are so versatile, some of these girls use them at night events or on a big [red] carpet or they wear them in their daily lives. The versatile design is what makes it so special."
Lady Gaga carrying the Aupen Nirvana bag.
Photo: Courtesy of Aupen
Even the name has to do with the brand's ethos of genuinely appreciating and enjoying a multifaceted product: "Aupen is the combination of two words: 'authentic' and 'open,'" Tan explains. "I love the name because it's like, 'Open your heart, open your mind.'"
Given that the brand has only been around since 2022, its level of success is all the more notable, especially considering it wasn't launched with a buzzy designer name attached. In fact, for the first two years of business, there was no designer name attached to it at all.
Before launching Aupen in late 2022, Tan was a Singaporean champion swimmer, an international model and an entrepreneur behind a million-dollar online shopping platform and multi-brand showroom catered toward the Asian market. Because of his prior notoriety, he says he didn't want to be pigeonholed into any particular industry and therefore decided to stay anonymous for the company's first two years.
It created a hush-hush mystique that may have piqued even more interest in who was behind the label. "[In my showroom], I was kind of the bridge between a lot of designers and consumers. So when I finally got the courage to step out on my own and start Aupen, it was quite a natural progression for me since I was already commercializing [other designer] products to fit consumer needs."
Nicholan Tan.
Photo: Courtesy of Aupen
Toward the end of 2024, Tan revealed himself as the man behind the star-beloved brand: "It was about feeling when it felt right and comfortable for me to announce myself as the founder. It's been really exciting."
"Exciting" barely begins to cover what the brand has in store for its third year of business. After Tan initially reached out to LVMH Métiers d'Art with a proposal, the luxury conglomerate's craftsmanship-focused division decided to partner with Aupen. "We've been able to get a lot of valuable expertise [from LVMH] that is going into the design of future Aupen products," Tan shares. "This is super exciting because, for example, in Paris, we’re working with [metal accessories manufacturer] Jade Group, which also crafts for Chanel and Schiaparelli. Learning how to craft at the luxury level has been such an amazing opportunity for me."
The move marks a new operational chapter for Aupen, which Tan started on his own out of his grandmother's house in Singapore. "It was just me alone. I'm the sole owner. I was employee number one." The company has since expanded to more than 10 full-time staff members (who Tan says "got us to where are today"), a number anticipated to grow with this new venture.
Nicholas Tan (right) and Tanneries Roux's Benjamin Fumat (left).
Photo: Courtesy of Aupen
Part of Aupen's meteoric rise also has much to do with its relatively affordable price points — another element set to change with the new LVMH partnership. In 2023, the brand's prices ranged from $180 to $340 thanks to its use of faux leather materials. At the start of 2024, it switched to "responsibly sourced calfskin leather," citing a new approach that "embraces a broader spectrum of eco-friendly practices," according to the brand's website. As a result, prices now range from $340 to $420 and are expected to increase further as production moves from Singapore to Paris.
"We will launch different products as we embark on this partnership. So we will definitely try and cater different products to the different needs and wants of the customer," says Tan. "I think what's most important for Aupen and for me is that we build a business that fulfills the needs of the consumer and makes products people can enjoy. With the new pricing, that is what we will [continue to] aim to achieve."
Photo: Courtesy of Aupen; Photo: Aeon/GC Images
In 2025, Tan says fans can look forward to additional silhouettes and two new "surprise product categories," though he declines to go into specifics. As for any further details regarding the price points of these offerings, he says, "You'll have to stay tuned."
Beyond the LVMH partnership, Tan is focused on building the brand's physical presence. 'Some great ideas we have thought of include opening pop-ups and establishing a flagship," he says. The same goes for its design studios: "We're currently establishing a space in Paris so we can work more closely with the European ateliers. Another company we're now working with is Tanneries Roux, the oldest French tannery founded in 1803. Moving to Paris and being closer to all of these ateliers will [allow us] to work better with them."
Photo: Courtesy of Aupen; Photo: RB/Bauer-Griffin/GC Images
Though Tan remains tight-lipped about any of the nitty-gritty details behind the rapid success of his brand, whatever secrets he's keeping are clearly working. Stars like Lady Gaga, Olivia Rodrigo, Sydney Sweeney, Jennifer Lawrence, Kerry Washington and many more continue to embrace the brand on the daily.
"All of the brand awareness from the celebrities plays a part in us being so visible to the fashion [industry], and that helps us in any sort of partnership or collaboration that we try and do," Tan explains. "We don't chase. We don't follow the fashion calendar and turn out too many designs at a time…We're really focused on incorporating luxury craftsmanship and techniques into our company [to continue] creating products that people want to buy and enjoy. I want our products to be timeless pieces that a girl will continue to wear year after year and keep in her wardrobe forever."
This article was sincerely referred from FASHIONISTA
VIEW THE ORIGINAL ARTICLE