Celebrities like Taylor Swift can’t stop carrying Aupen bags

By Sydney Barrett Last updated Oct 20, 2023

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Celebrities may have a soft spot for their Birkins and Baguettes, but not all of their favorite bags will break your budget.

Brooklyn-based brand Aupen — synonymous with “authentic” and “candid” — is the source behind celebrities’ new favorite It purses, offering sleek, chic totes that embody the serene luxury aesthetic for under $500 .

Kylie Jenner became the first big name to wear an Aupen design, choosing the original version of the label’s curved Fearless bag ($340) for a stroll in Manhattan in November 2022.

“We were all overjoyed and thrilled to see our creation of love out there,” the design team — who prefer to remain anonymous — tells Page Six Style of the pivotal moment, recalling the “surge in demand” that followed.

“[Jenner] is one of the reasons why Fearless often sells out.”

Kylie Jenner was the first celebrity to carry one of the brand’s bags.GC image

Gabrielle Union was seen carrying the Fearless bag in a different color.GC images

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Aupen Fearless Re-Edition bag

Within months, Aupen was popping up all over Hollywood.

Taylor Swift has a fondness for the Nirvana ($340), which features a braided handle and shiny gold hardware, having worn hers to Jack Antonoff’s wedding in August and again on a date with Travis Kelce in October.

Rita Ora, meanwhile, wore the Ignite chain-accented, flap-front model ($230) during New York Fashion Week, and Jennifer Lawrence, Gabrielle Union and Karlie Kloss have all added the Fearless model ($340) to their closets.

Taylor Swift last wore her Nirvana bag on a date with Travis Kelce in New York.GC images

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Aupen Nirvana bag

But the brand’s biggest hit is undoubtedly the sleek, slanted Purpose bag ($180), as seen on Hailey Bieber, Olivia Rodrigo, Dakota Johnson, Nina Dobrev and Gal Gadot; At under $200, it’s also one of Aupen’s cheapest offerings.

“Influenced by art and architecture, we wanted to move away from the idea of perfection and focus on irregularities and truly appreciate beauty with all its flaws,” explains the team of the characteristic asymmetrical shapes.

Hailey Bieber carried her Purpose bag multiple times.haileybieber/Instagram