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Taylor Swift carries the Nirvana; Selena Gomez carries the Purpose Ice.
And yet Aupen remained nameless and faceless.
In the age of the celebrity designers and designers turned celebrities, the brand was an anomaly.
Why did no one want to take credit for this out-of-nowhere success?
Taylor Swift carries the Nirvana; Selena Gomez carries the Purpose Ice.
Maybe all the celebrities were secretly going vegan.
After a handful of interviews last summer, he all but vanished.
And yet the brand marched on.
The Fearless sold out, followed by the Nirvana.
Several new styles were introduced in rapid succession, including Believe, Joy, and Brooklyn.
(And yes, the old creative director is still working at the company.)
It was a choice.
And clearly, it was working.
We listened to customer feedback, they said.
Hailey Bieber carries an Aupen bag in May.
People wanted bags that could be heirlooms.
Shockingly, the pivot to calfskin will not impact Aupen’s commitment to affordable eco-luxury.
The privately owned business, which is headquartered in Singapore, is a self-funded enterprise, they add.
Dakota Johnson inAupen’s Wave earrings, $140
Notably, the charm is removable.
This denial of ego is echoed in the structure of the business as well.
Thats the strategy, the commercial director tells me.
No photos of them, no names, so that egos dont start coming out.
We all agree, no one does it.
Hailey Bieber carries an Aupen bag in May.
They add, The designers really wanted [Aupen] to be product and design first.
They dont have to worry about, like, their camera angles.
Elegant, organic design meets a mastermind in marketing: the perfect balance.
theBushwick Birkincould get their hands on one.
Similarly, Aupen does not plan to discontinue any styles or issue any limited edition runs.
As long as there is demand, the director says, they will keep producing each collection.
Aupen is seasonless, and we want it to be inclusive, they add.
Aupen will also be expanding beyond handbags.
But its not like they have to follow a runway schedule or Fashion Week.
Sam Reed isGlamour’ssenior entertainment editor.
