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Aupen is best known for its under-$500 bags seen on Beyoncé, Lady Gaga, Taylor Swift, Olivia Rodrigo and other stars across music, movies and beyond. For its first-ever custom carryall, the Singapore-based label enlisted OG pop queen Madonna to showcase a $100,000 crocodile leather version of its bestselling Purpose bag created under its partnership with LVMH Métiers d’Art.
Earlier this week, Wednesday actress Jenna Ortega headed to Last Night with Seth Meyers during the hit Netflix series’ press tour with Aupen‘s newest one-of-a-kind creation: the Re-Purpose pochette made of Himalayan croc. (THR cover star paired the unique bag with a distressed corset dress by Elena Velez.) The bag’s newest celebrity cameo coincides with Singapore’s National Day — and to celebrate its home country’s 60th anniversary, Aupen is giving fashion fans the chance to score Ortega’s silhouette with its new bag-filled blind boxes starting tonight.
Dropping on Aug. 8 at 7 p.m. PT/10 p.m. ET, Aupen’s Rouxe mystery packages are $60 apiece and contain a random Aupen pochette in nylon, denim, crochet, calfskin or Himalayan croc. Per the brand, “a few lucky recipients will uncover a golden ticket inside — a secret layer of the experience that remains under wraps.”
A rainbow of Aupen’s Purpose pochettes.
The surprise styles come in playful Skittles-inspired packaging, which former Miss Universe Singapore Amanda Leong recently unveiled in a sneak peek unboxing video.
Aupen was founded in 2022 by entrepreneur and former Singapore national swimmer Nicholas Tan, who only recently revealed himself as the man behind the cult-favorite brand.
“I wanted our product and design to come first. After swimming, I had done a variety of different roles, so when I started the brand I didn’t want to be pigeon-holed into a specific role as I had been more visible from the get-go,” Tan told THR earlier this year. “In the early stages of the company, it was quite important that I focus on the product and running and building the team, and building the processes within that. If I had been out in the front, then I’m going to think about, What are people going to say? It would have been a lot more to cover during the early stages when I really wanted the product to stand for itself; [I wanted] to make sure the product was something that the customer really wanted before we moved onto the ‘Nick’ phase.”
Swift was the first celebrity to be spotted with Aupen. She carried the assymetrical Nirvana black leather bag — now a distinct style with its braided handle and bean-inspired bag charm — on her first public date with Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce. Since that fateful fashion moment the Southeast Asian label’s designs have been worn by Rachel Brosnahan, Florence Pugh, Selena Gomez, Kylie Jenner, Charli xcx, Hailey Bieber, Lindsay Lohan, Jenna Ortega, Lucy Liu, Gabrielle Union and Emily Blunt — the list goes on and on.
Mark your timer for 7 p.m. PT/10 p.m. ET tonight and shop Aupen’s limited-edition Rouxe mystery pouches — and cross your fingers for that golden ticket — online here.
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