Every few months the fashion industry sees a new brand erupt onto the scene, typically charged by the buzz from a popular celebrity sporting its latest products. With its eye-catching handbags seen on the likes of Kylie Jenner and Gabrielle Union, Aupen is the newest brand in the sustainable handbag space that is set to make waves this year.

At the helm of this up-and-coming bag brand is fashion photographer Skye Tan, current creative director and head of product design. “Aupen started quite organically actually. I never thought I would have my own brand,” admits the Singaporean fashion photographer. Currently based in New York City, Tan works with PS169 Sunset Park School, an institute in Brooklyn that specialises in individualised education programmes for children with special needs. Through that experience, he has gained a profound understanding regarding topics surrounding mental health.

This led to Tan’s eventual interest with how shapes and colours affect a person’s psychology, specifically for the better. Having lived through the recent pandemic, surrounding oneself with beneficial mental health stimulus seemed to be at the forefront of mind. He explains:“I started toying with feel-good colours and asymmetry for our first collection, and I’m so happy with the response so far.” As a result, Aupen was born in Brooklyn. Its name is a combination of the words ‘authentic’ and ‘open’.

“My inspirations come from my surroundings, during my daily commute in New York City.”

Elaborating on the creative process behind the brand, Tan shares that he looks to daily interactions with his friends and family. He also pulls inspiration from the streets of New York City, a melting pot of bold styles and unabashed self-expression. “During my daily commute in New York City, my inspirations come from my surroundings such as the colours of the subway seats to the shape of the benches in Central Park. Some of the curves in our bags were sketched referencing the slopes that I take walking through Sunset Park in Brooklyn,” remarks Tan.

Aupen’s brand codes revolve around the Japanese design principle Fukinsei, which is based on the idea of beauty within asymmetry. The design aesthetic is extremely prevalent within Asia, and is reflected harmoniously within all of Aupen’s products. Tan considers the idiosyncratic shape of the bags as an apt personification of life. “Having an asymmetrical bag is a constant reminder that life isn’t meant to be perfect, life is not linear. When you truly accept all the imperfections and mishaps, your mood would be so much better.

“Aupen aims to be part of a revolution in the industry away from animal sources, showing the world that eco-friendly options can be cute and fun too.”

Apart from its distinctive shape, the bags are constructed entirely from vegan leather. Tan explains: “The impact of regular leather is immense when it comes to land use, greenhouse gas emissions and biodiversity loss. Aupen aims to be part of a revolution in the industry away from animal sources.” This was not without its own set of challenges, however, as certain production techniques are unachievable through the use of vegan leather. “I keep hearing from buyers that many customers still prefer cow leather, but I hope to show the world that eco-friendly options can be cute and fun too.”

Besides the fabrication of the bags, Aupen prides itself on ethical labour practices as well. “We stay true to high workmanship standards without compromising on quality or craftsmanship, and pay all workers good wages on time,” highlights Tan.

“Bags are an extension of your personality and style, and I hope to design new styles to represent different girls everywhere.”

This month, a new series of bags will be unveiled. The Mini Fearless—an extension of the brand’s bestselling Fearless line—is an exclusive collaboration with Vogue Singapore inline with April’s print theme ‘Pop!’. The bags will be available in three different colours—namely jet black, powder blue and matcha green—and will feature the brand’s trademark asymmetrical cut in bold reimagined shades. Each colour has a meaningful connotation to Tan, with the brand’s boldness very much in line with the ‘Pop’ issue for Vogue Singapore: black signifying the “power, status and allure of New York”, green embodying the brand values of sustainability and mental health, and blue symbolising hope.

As for what he hopes to achieve with Aupen in the future, Tan responds: “I hope that our products can bring joy and happiness to everyone. Bags are an extension of your personality and style, and I hope to design new styles to represent different girls everywhere.”

This article was sincerely referred from Vogue.
View the original article here.

You know the drill: Once one A-lister wears an under-the-radar item, this creates a domino effect, with other stars and style enthusiasts soon tapping into the look as well. Such is the case with AUPEN’s handbags. The fervor all started thanks to Kylie Jenner, who toted the Fearless silhouette, which features a curved cut and metal hardware, around Manhattan in Nov. 2022, the same month the label launched. Since then, the Brooklyn and Singapore-based brand’s carryalls, which range from $180 to $490, have established a fan club boasting Hollywood’s biggest celebrities like Taylor Swift, Hailey Bieber, Selena Gomez, Gabrielle Union, and Gal Gadot. (Fashion girls also can’t get enough of the looks, including this editor who just carried one if the bags during NYFW.)

Pursue through AUPEN’s website, and the first thing that may catch your eye is the bags’ sculptural shapes, which are influenced by art and architecture. “We wanted to move away from the idea of perfection and embrace irregularity, and to truly appreciate beauty with its flaws that are present in our every day,” the design team tells TZR about the unique styles, noting, “This resulted in the interesting architectural shapes that feel fresh and exciting to us.” The Brooklyn carryall, for starters, nods to the Brooklyn Bridge (hence its name) with its structured appearance. Then there’s the asymmetrical-looking Purpose style, loved by Bieber and Gadot. And for those who gravitate towards a slouchier vibe, look no further than the Swift-approved Nirvana bag.

And if the team is ever in need of design ideas? They simply step outside and take in their surroundings. “Sometimes we don’t even have to go far, we love that Brooklyn is beautifully off kilter and is our main source of inspiration.”

Out of every option in the label’s first collection (they’ve only dropped the one thus far), they point to the aforementioned Fearless iteration as one of the bestsellers. “It has gone out of stock a couple of times, and we are trying to keep up with demand,” they explain. The hype surrounding the look is likely thanks to the youngest Kardashian-Jenner sister, as well as Union, who carried the white version just weeks after the beauty mogul.

Though AUPEN launched not even a year ago, the customer feedback has been nothing short of amazing. “We get people reaching out to ask questions about the bags that have been spotted on the celebrities, but also about whether our materials are sustainable; it shows how discerning consumers today are,” they explain. The team adds that they’re proud that shoppers are interested in their use of vegan leather and the wallet-friendly price points.

Without further ado, scroll ahead to see how A-listers are styling the up-and-coming label’s distinct, one-of-a-kind silhouettes. (No promises you won’t place an order by the time you reach the bottom of this post.)

Selena Gomez

As I was working on this story, yet another celebrity AUPEN endorsement came across my Instagram feed — this time from Selena Gomez (told you the domino effect is real!). Attending the 2023 Video Music Awards on Sept. 12, the Only Murders in the Building star paired the brand’s crystal-drenched Purpose style with a vivid purple Undone by Kate custom dress.

Taylor Swift

Did Swift tell her good friend Gomez about her penchant for the emerging brand? It’s very possible, as she wore it just a month prior during Margaret Qualley and Jack Antonoff’s celebrity-filled New Jersey wedding weekend. For her rehearsal dinner look, the “Cruel Summer” singer carried the Nirvana bag, which features an asymmetrical cut and a braided strap. She kept the rest of her outfit casual yet chic with a black lace Hill House set.

Hailey Bieber

Note: If there’s an It bag taking the Hollywood set by storm, Hailey Bieber is usually part of the pack. Case in point: At a RHODE event in April, the beauty entrepreneur took to IG to share her cool outfit, which included AUPEN’s Purpose bag in black. One thing to take away from this picture? This small silhouette is ideal for weekend outings — and I can attest to that statement, as I wore the white iteration to New York Fashion Week.

Gabrielle Union

Gabrielle Union, who wore the bag at the end of Nov. 2022 in New York, gave the Fearless style in snow (which is currently sold-out) a wintery feel thanks to a fuzzy brown coat and croc-embossed shoes. We love how she grounded the outfit with elevated basics, such as a white button-down and relaxed jeans.

Kylie Jenner

Leave it to Jenner to put a new brand on the map. While hitting the streets of Manhattan, she donned her AUPEN purse alongside a structured long black coat and slouchy denim puddle pants. Keep this easy-to-recreate look in mind for fall.

This article was sincerely referred from thezonereport. View the original article here.

Every few months the fashion industry sees a new brand erupt onto the scene, typically charged by the buzz from a popular celebrity sporting its latest products. With its eye-catching handbags seen on the likes of Kylie Jenner and Gabrielle Union, Aupen is the newest brand in the sustainable handbag space that is set to make waves this year.

At the helm of this up-and-coming bag brand is fashion photographer Skye Tan, current creative director and head of product design. “Aupen started quite organically actually. I never thought I would have my own brand,” admits the Singaporean fashion photographer. Currently based in New York City, Tan works with PS169 Sunset Park School, an institute in Brooklyn that specialises in individualised education programmes for children with special needs. Through that experience, he has gained a profound understanding regarding topics surrounding mental health.

This led to Tan’s eventual interest with how shapes and colours affect a person’s psychology, specifically for the better. Having lived through the recent pandemic, surrounding oneself with beneficial mental health stimulus seemed to be at the forefront of mind. He explains:“I started toying with feel-good colours and asymmetry for our first collection, and I’m so happy with the response so far.” As a result, Aupen was born in Brooklyn. Its name is a combination of the words ‘authentic’ and ‘open’.

“My inspirations come from my surroundings, during my daily commute in New York City.”

Elaborating on the creative process behind the brand, Tan shares that he looks to daily interactions with his friends and family. He also pulls inspiration from the streets of New York City, a melting pot of bold styles and unabashed self-expression. “During my daily commute in New York City, my inspirations come from my surroundings such as the colours of the subway seats to the shape of the benches in Central Park. Some of the curves in our bags were sketched referencing the slopes that I take walking through Sunset Park in Brooklyn,” remarks Tan.

Aupen’s brand codes revolve around the Japanese design principle Fukinsei, which is based on the idea of beauty within asymmetry. The design aesthetic is extremely prevalent within Asia, and is reflected harmoniously within all of Aupen’s products. Tan considers the idiosyncratic shape of the bags as an apt personification of life. “Having an asymmetrical bag is a constant reminder that life isn’t meant to be perfect, life is not linear. When you truly accept all the imperfections and mishaps, your mood would be so much better.

“Aupen aims to be part of a revolution in the industry away from animal sources, showing the world that eco-friendly options can be cute and fun too.”

Apart from its distinctive shape, the bags are constructed entirely from vegan leather. Tan explains: “The impact of regular leather is immense when it comes to land use, greenhouse gas emissions and biodiversity loss. Aupen aims to be part of a revolution in the industry away from animal sources.” This was not without its own set of challenges, however, as certain production techniques are unachievable through the use of vegan leather. “I keep hearing from buyers that many customers still prefer cow leather, but I hope to show the world that eco-friendly options can be cute and fun too.”

Besides the fabrication of the bags, Aupen prides itself on ethical labour practices as well. “We stay true to high workmanship standards without compromising on quality or craftsmanship, and pay all workers good wages on time,” highlights Tan.

“Bags are an extension of your personality and style, and I hope to design new styles to represent different girls everywhere.”

This month, a new series of bags will be unveiled. The Mini Fearless—an extension of the brand’s bestselling Fearless line—is an exclusive collaboration with Vogue Singapore inline with April’s print theme ‘Pop!’. The bags will be available in three different colours—namely jet black, powder blue and matcha green—and will feature the brand’s trademark asymmetrical cut in bold reimagined shades. Each colour has a meaningful connotation to Tan, with the brand’s boldness very much in line with the ‘Pop’ issue for Vogue Singapore: black signifying the “power, status and allure of New York”, green embodying the brand values of sustainability and mental health, and blue symbolising hope.

As for what he hopes to achieve with Aupen in the future, Tan responds: “I hope that our products can bring joy and happiness to everyone. Bags are an extension of your personality and style, and I hope to design new styles to represent different girls everywhere.”

This article was sincerely referred from Vogue.
View the original article here.