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THIS BAG BRAND IS TAKING
GETTY IMAGES (AND OUR
FEEDS) BY STORM

From Charli XCX to Florence Pugh, Hailey Bieber to Taylor Swift, the A-lister fashion set has crowned this Singaporean accessories brand as the industry’s hottest topic — so naturally, we’re diving into what the hype is all about.

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Photo by DUTCH/Bauer-Griffin/GC Images, courtesy of AUPEN

Ever wondered what it must feel like to be a celebrity getting ready for dinner? Sure, they might, every now and then, experience the deeply humbling, aura-shaking feeling of staring at a wardrobe and not knowing what to wear — but when your sea of options is that well curated, where do you even start? So when the likes of Charli XCX, Hailey Bieber, Jenna Ortega and Lucy Liu (or, fine, their stylists) all gravitate toward the same bag brand — and it’s not Hermès, Dior or Chanel — you know we’re paying attention.

Founded in late 2022, Singaporean-born Aupen has fast become one of the most exciting names in accessories right now. Not haute couture, not high street — it sits comfortably in the sweet spot between the two, delivering LVMH-backed quality without breaking the bank, and best of all? The look, darling. Its signature style, the Nirvana, seems to be tucked under the arms of A-listers on the daily — and having tested them ourselves at Wonderland, we can confidently say: the hype is real. In a market oversaturated with would-be staples, creating a product that cuts through the noise and cements itself as a genuine consumer crush is no easy feat. But Aupen has done just that — likely due to its uncanny ability to balance trend and timelessness, with a sculptural twist on the classic black leather bag.

Despite rising to mainstream fame thanks to a paparazzi snap of Taylor Swift on a date night with Travis Kelce in August 2023, Aupen’s success has been a long game for its founder — a name that was kept tightly under wraps until last autumn, when Singaporean entrepreneur Nicholas Tan stepped into the spotlight. “I think more people knew us from those celebrity sightings, but in reality, it was really the culmination of the foundation and brand-building we’d been doing behind the scenes for the past two years,” he told me earlier this year in Paris, during an interview for Man About Town, Wonderland’s sister mag. “When that happened, it elevated brand awareness to a whole new level. But that wasn’t actually the first time she’d worn it,” he added — referring to that photo. It was Jack Antonoff’s wedding to Margaret Qualley, their actual first date.

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Photo by Gotham/GC Images, courtesy of AUPEN

Having worked in the fashion industry for nearly a decade — starting with a showroom in Singapore that helped introduce Western brands to the Asian market — Tan laid the groundwork for what would become Aupen’s biggest asset: word of mouth. Shortly after launching his signature design, now available in a range of sizes, textures and finishes — think rhinestone embellishments, crochet details, and a braided handle that can be swapped for a chain for after-dark affairs — the bag started landing in the hands of celebrity stylists. And just like that, Taylor Swift had a new staple.

If scarcity is a sign of success, then Aupen’s future looks golden. Drop after drop, the A-lister-approved accessory is flying off shelves — and as quickly as it caught our eye, it caught the gaze of the industry’s big players, too. The brand recently announced a partnership with LVMH through its Métiers d’Art initiative, which will see LVMH’s in-house teams helping Tan streamline Aupen’s production — now extending to jewellery — enhancing quality control and unlocking access to an elite network of craftspeople and luxury manufacturers.

And if one signature style wasn’t enough, Aupen has just unveiled the Nirvana Deluxe: a bigger, bolder evolution of its cult classic. Sign us up.