Singaporean founder of viral handbag brand Aupen: ‘I hope more people in Asia get to know our brand’

For those who follow fashion news closely, it’s almost impossible to have not heard of Aupen. Aside from the fact that its handbags have been seen on American IT-girls like Taylor Swift, Kylie Jenner and Hailey Bieber, the brand has made headlines several times.

For one, its origin story has been shrouded in mystery. Up until recently, not much was known about its founder, only that the company was Singapore-based. Older media interviews had identified Skye Tan, a Singaporean photographer based in New York, as the brand’s creative director (he is no longer with the company).

In May 2024, Aupen sent the fashion world into a frenzy by wiping out its Instagram page and announcing it was “bidding goodbye”, sparking rumours that the brand was shutting down. Later on, Aupen clarified that the design team was merely taking a break.

Then, in September, Tanner Leatherstein, a popular YouTuber and content creator known for ripping apart leather bags, published a video questioning the brand’s operations, including if the bags were made in Singapore, which Aupen later clarified on its updated website.

Now, Aupen’s founder, Nicholas Tan, a former national swimmer for Singapore, has finally stepped into the spotlight after revealing his identity in an interview with fashion trade journal, WWD, in November. Since going public, Tan told CNA Luxury that the company can now "tell our story, share what's going on behind the scenes, and be more open and transparent."

A NEW MODERNITY

Tan’s background reads like that of a typical Singaporean golden boy. The academically inclined 35-year-old went to Raffles Institution and Raffles Junior College in Singapore, before studying biology at Harvard University.

He was also a national swimmer, taking part in the Asian Games in 2010 and SEA Games in 2007 and 2011. Tan was part of the team to take home the gold for Singapore in the men’s 4x100m freestyle relay at the 2007 SEA Games.

Later on, his professional journey included stints in tech IPOs and at Garena, now known as leading e-commerce platform Shopee. He first stepped into the world of fashion as a model for Italian label Dolce & Gabbana’s 2014 spring/summer campaign, becoming the first Singaporean man to feature in a top European brand’s campaign for a seasonal collection.

Prior to starting Aupen in 2022, he owned a fashion showroom in Asia that carried designer labels such as David Koma, Dries Van Noten and Joseph Altuzarra. “I brought European and American designers over to the Asian market. I was the bridge between a lot of these creative directors and their designs, helping to commercialise them into products that would actually sell in the market,” Tan shared. “That gave me a lot of experience in fashion, learning the ins and outs of the industry.”

Being exposed to all sorts of designs and products planted the seed to start a handbag brand. “I was looking at all these multi-label department stores, looking at what was on the shelves, and I felt that a lot of the bags looked really similar,” Tan recalled. “With Aupen, I wanted to design a sculptural silhouette that would break away from a lot of the designs that we see today.”

Tan describes Aupen as a brand that strives to “bring a new modernity into the accessories market”. Although it found early success with its eco-luxury vegan handbags, it has since transitioned to using entirely leather. Its most popular handbag is arguably the Nirvana, which stands out for its sloping, asymmetrical silhouette. Prices start from S$457 (US$340) for the Nirvana as well as the Fearless 22, the very first bag designed by the brand.

Aupen recently launched its holiday collection with new materials for the Nirvana, including suede, tweed, metallic finish and more. Depending on the material, prices go up to S$564 (US$420). With this price range, Aupen sits comfortably in the accessible luxury segment, but “we don’t really label ourselves into a particular market”, said Tan.

“We are more design-led and customer-centric. We try to understand the needs and wants of a modern girl today, and we design products that would fit into her wardrobe,” he continued. “Design, quality, craftsmanship, and pricing – all these factors go into the equation of building a brand that the modern girl can ultimately purchase from and enjoy. That’s the goal, and the initial inspiration and vision behind what I do.”

Tan describes the Aupen customer as a sophisticated globetrotter. “She travels around the world, she goes to art galleries and there’s something about her that is understated and elegant. She doesn’t necessary chase trends, but she always looks effortless and elegant. [Our bags] are timeless classics that fit into her wardrobe, no matter where she is,” he mused.

OVERCOMING CHALLENGES

Despite being a young brand, Aupen is in the spotlight a lot. In September, popular YouTuber and content creator Tanner Leatherstein, whose real name is Volkan Yilmaz, published a video that went viral, questioning the brand's claim that its bags were made in Singapore. Yilmaz went on to investigate, even hiring a private investigator to dig into the company’s operations.

Criticisms aside, Yilmaz praised the quality of Aupen's leather. Later on, parts of Aupen’s website were updated, including the removal of the section stating that its bags were made in Singapore. When asked where his bags are made, Tan said: “Our bags are made globally. We make some in Singapore. We are working with LVMH’s supply chain, they are in Paris, Italy, Australia, China – it’s a breadth of countries.”

The blip hasn't dampened the popularity of Aupen. With its founder’s identity now public, customers can perhaps expect more transparency from the brand. Tan explained that his initial decision to stay behind-the-scenes was to “firstly, stabilise our operations, before I had all this attention on me”. As his career has been so varied, “I didn’t want to be pigeonholed,” he added. “But I think it was to ensure our product operations were really smooth, before we embark on the next chapter of brand building.”

BIGGEST MILESTONES

Aupen’s Hollywood clientele certainly played a significant role in attracting attention to the brand, and Tan, a self-professed Swiftie, cites seeing his bags on celebrities as one of the brand’s biggest milestones to date. Tan maintains that celebrities carrying Aupen happens organically, although they are gifted with the bags. “Every time a celebrity walks out with the bag, I’m in shock. It’s one thing to gift our bags to them, but for them to actually walk out with them is always a pleasant surprise.”

When asked why so many celebrities are drawn to Aupen bags, Tan quipped: “A lot of our designs have this day to night versatility. You can use them for many different events. You can wear a basic T-shirt with jeans and an asymmetric Aupen bag immediately elevates the outfit.”

The bags also do not have any flashy logos and this preference for “quiet luxury” is “something that more and more people are adopting”, Tan added.

Another significant milestone for the brand was the announcement of its partnership with LVMH Metiers d’Art, the luxury conglomerate’s craftsmanship organisation that connects brands with suppliers and manufacturers.

Tan approached the organisation in 2023 and was “so excited when they agreed”. “Getting this stamp of approval was encouraging for me and my team, because we’re such a young brand. We’re excited for the possibilities we can bring to the customer going forward.”

With this partnership, Aupen will have access to the same factories that produce goods for some of the world’s biggest luxury brands. Currently, its hardware is produced at the Paris-based Jade Group, which also produces for Schiaparelli and Chanel. For its handbag leather, it works with Tanneries Roux, which specialises in calfskin. “They work with brands such as Hermes, Louis Vuitton and Berluti,” shared Tan.

The Aupen team currently consists of “more than 10 people” who are based in Singapore. Tan himself splits his time between Paris and Singapore and hopes to open a studio in the French city by early next year to be closer to the ateliers. With fashion being a tactile industry, “it’s quite hard to do everything remotely via Zoom. Ultimately, we’re handling products, and you need to be able to touch and feel them. It is also more efficient if we’re sitting next to the artisans, and they can teach us many things,” said Tan.

WHAT’S NEXT FOR AUPEN

Part of Aupen's next chapter is growing awareness for the brand in Asia. Although the brand was founded in Singapore, Tan says that Aupen’s home market is “one of our smallest”. “A lot of people don’t know that our biggest markets are America and Europe,” he added.

In the same way that many women in fashion capitals such as Paris and Milan carry Louis Vuitton, Gucci and Hermes bags with pride, “I hope that in Asia, I will see more people carry Aupen”, said Tan. “We design for the global girl, it doesn’t matter whether you’re in Singapore, Tokyo, Milan or Paris.”

Only two Aupen designs are currently sold on its website, the Nirvana and Fearless 22. Tan revealed that the brand will be launching a new silhouette. He declines to reveal further information but says that the new design will stick to Aupen’s structural DNA. “This is definitely something we’ll carry into our future collections.” 

The brand is also looking at expanding into “new categories”, although “nothing is confirmed yet”. Recently, Aupen launched its Lumiere Charm, created in collaboration with Jade Groupe. The gold-tone metal with crystal is priced at S$1,077 and can be used as a bag charm or as a pendant on a necklace.

Reflecting on his entrepreneurship journey, Tan said he has taken some lessons from his time in the pool. “Being an athlete required a lot of discipline and perseverance. There are ups and downs and entrepreneurship is the same. You need the same discipline and drive, and that’s something I am taking with me in building Aupen into a success story.”

When asked about his overall vision and end goal for Aupen, he said there is no particular milestone to reach. Comparing business to swimming, he reflected, “It’s not like chasing an Olympic gold medal. But what would make me feel like we succeeded is walking out and seeing many girls on the street carrying Aupen.”  

Tan hopes that Aupen’s story and his “dare to dream” mentality will inspire other Singaporean designers and creatives. “We don’t always have to look for overseas brands to buy from, or overseas companies to join to get that global experience. We can do it all from Singapore,” he said.