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Best Aupen Bags of 2025
Celebrities’ favorite statement accessory as of late? Why, it’s an Aupen bag, of course — spotted on everyone from Taylor Swift and Selena Gomez to Olivia Rodrigo, Hailey Bieber, Jenna Ortega, Jennifer Aniston, and Madonna. Aupen’s sculptural and minimalist offerings are also the talk of the town over on TikTok, where everyone and their mothers are crazy over its Nirvana Noir bag in particular: popularized by Swift on her first photographed date with now-fiancé Travis Kelce in 2023. The bag proceeded to sell out in a flash the first time it was seen on the A-lister, which is testament to how the special combination between an eye-catching silhouette, mid-range price point, and celebrity-approved status can make an accessory’s popularity truly take off.
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For some time now, Aupen’s offerings have been kept under wraps on its site because the inventory kept getting depleted (a good problem to have, if you ask us). Consider this an official announcement, then, that these It-bags of 2025 are officially back in stock as of today.
Despite Aupen’s buzzy public presence, the launched-in-2022 brand has kept its founder’s identity private until last year, when WWD announced that Nicholas Tan, a Singaporean fashion entrepreneur, was running the show. Aupen prides itself in being at the heart of the eco-luxury market: first entering the business with vegan leather materials and then expanding to Leather Working Group–certified calfskin leather. Furthermore, it’s online-only and promises customers high standards of durability and craftsmanship — ultimately creating bags that last a lifetime, rivaling designer ones priced at thousands of dollars.
“So many styles on shelves felt repetitive,” Tan tells WWD. “I wanted to break away from the norm by creating asymmetrical bags that immediately stood out.” As for that switch in materials? “Customers loved the quality and longevity, so we decided to continue with it,” he shares.
Indeed, the biggest draw of an Aupen handbag, beyond the fact that there’s a good chance your favorite tastemaker owns it, is its profile — a kind of reinterpretation of the crescent shape that’s been trending for multiple seasons now. Because the Nirvana’s body has one side that’s higher than the other, it fits more in a more snug way under your arm and adds visual interest to every last outfit (an effect that the product’s current range of finishes, from distressed metallic to chocolate suede, also contributes to).
At the US Open this year, Emily Blunt took her tennis whites to chicer heights with Aupen’s first Himalayan Crocodile Nirvana bag; Lady Gaga donned the Nirvana Noir with a long-sleeved red dress; and Selena Gomez clutched a crystal-encrusted, fringe-bedecked Purpose Ice bag while wearing a glamorous purple minidress. There are many Aupen styles worn by celebrities that are not offered anymore after selling out, meaning bag devotees — even if they desperately wanted to — can no longer snag that Fearless Re-Edition carryall worn by Karlie Kloss to Taylor Swift’s concert back in 2023 or the Purpose bag Hailey Beiber paired with a strapless-and-sparkly dress at her Rhode UK launch party (among many other variations that have left the Aupen website far too soon). Nonetheless, Aupen’s ultimate hot commodity, the Nirvana model, has multiple iterations available as we speak, ensuring there’s something to love for everyone.
“Taylor Swift brought a new level of visibility, but it’s really the culmination of all the celebrities who supported us from day one [that put us on the map],” says Tan. “Another defining milestone was our LVMH partnership, which gave us access to their metal ateliers and tanneries, as well as advisory and expertise.”
LVMH Métiers d’Art is a community of maisons dedicated to preserving invaluable artisanal skills across luxury industries, handbag manufacturers include. It aims to pass on techniques and other expertise to the next generation of top-tier brands, carrying out this work through strategic partnerships. Thanks to Aupen’s relationship with LVMH, some of its products are now designed in France, and it can deliver an even higher quality of merchandise to customers who are, clearly, nothing short of devoted.
“We don’t follow seasons or schedules,” Tan stresses. “We release projects only when they’re ready, which lets us focus on designs that can remain wardrobe essentials forever.”
Here, four Aupen Nirvana bag options — ranging in price from $340 to $420 — that will quickly become closet staples and enrich your ensembles for years to come, no matter how the trend cycle shape-shifts. Because you deserve accessories this timeless.
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Aupen Nirvana Metallic 25 Bag
The Aupen Nirvana Metallic 25 is a play on a colorway fans who’ve been with Aupen since 2022 have already seen. It’s also perhaps the most visually striking bag currently sold by the brand — what with that distressed, intentionally crinkled calfskin leather in a glossy, metallic hue. Save for the finish, this bag is identical to every other Nirvana variation, down to the very dimensions. If, however, you’re in the mood for reflecting some sunlight as you walk down busy streets or else matching your bag to your metallic sneakers, there can be no better investment than the Nirvana Metallic 25.
Make no mistake, though: This is not a “quiet luxury” kind of item. Instead, it makes a clear style statement, with the added benefit of silver-tone metal hardware — spotlighted via that cutesy, detachable Aupen seed charm — and a cotton twill lining that promises underhand softness. Mark our wordhis Aupen selection will never go out of fashion. Instead, buying it will make you one well-informed consumer.
Price upon publish date of this article: $340
Aupen Nirvana Suede Chocolate Bag
Across runways this year, suede emerged as one of the top handbag materials, and the Pinterest Predicts 2025 Annual Trend Report also posited that a certain kind of “moto boho” aesthetic — marked by feminine ruggedness, as well as lots of leather and, yes, suede — will dominate the year. All of this plays to the advantage of Aupen’s Nirvana Suede Chocolate bag, whose deep brown colorway is also quite in line with Pantone’s 2025 Color of the Year, besides being in fluent conversation with its gold-tone hardware.
While the bag’s smoothness will have anyone vying to touch it all day long, Aupen warns that its leather shoulder handle’s rich tone may transfer onto lighter fabrics. In other words, wear (and pair!) with caution, but rest assured that this exquisite item will serve you just as well on a morning errand run as it will during a night on the town.
Price upon publish date of this article: $340
Aupen Nirvana Noir Bag
Nirvana Noir is the quick-to-sell-out Aupen bag that got most mentions in this article due to the sheer number of celebs that have been spotted with it nestled under their armpits. The ways in which they styled it (with a checkered trench coat and satin corset top, in Swift’s case; an opulent fur coat, per Charli XCX; pink opera gloves on Lucy Hale; and beyond) showcase the Nirvana Noir’s true all-occasions versatility.
If you’re looking for a roomy handbag to provide seamless organization for all your everyday essentials, this one might not be for you. It has but one interior slot pocket, after all, and a seven-centimeter depth. Yet, if you want to purchase something indulgent that will ooze luxury wherever you wear it, without an accompanying steep cost, you’d be remiss not to let Aupen’s Nirvana Noir into your life.
Price upon publish date of this article: $420
Aupen Nirvana Snow Bag
Aupen’s Nirvana Snow style is a fashion-week favorite, as its soothing-on-the-eyes, all-white shade can go with just about anything in your outfit rotation. We’ve seen tastemakers pair the purse with white button-ups and contrasting overcoats, preppy blazers, loose denim, and extravagant gowns. And while that seed charm is enough to amplify the carte blanche that is the bag’s minimalist leather body, you can take it a step further and tack on your own bag charms (as all the cool kids are doing these days).
Like most Aupen selections in this roundup, the Aupen Nirvana Snow bag has low inventory on the site. If you love it, show some decisiveness.
Price upon publish date of this article: $420
More About Aupen
Where are Aupen bags sold? Aupen’s handbags are available exclusively at aupen.com. That being said, there’s no way to feel or try on the selections before buying, and Aupen states on its site that it’s “unable to accept returns for purchases made due to a change of mind,” only those that are defect-related. In that case, refunds or exchanges can be arranged by reaching out to service@aupen.com.
What Aupen bag does Taylor Swift wear? Taylor Swift’s penchant for Aupen’s Nirvana Noir style runs strong. She sported it during her first-ever photographed date with Travis Kelce back in October 2023 and, earlier that summer, also carried the same bag to the rehearsal dinner of pals Jack Antonoff and Margaret Qualley. In this latter instance, Swift matched the bag’s all-black colorway to a black top and maxi skirt ensemble out of scallop lace. While no other Aupen bags have graced the star’s arm since, it’s likely only a matter of time until she surprises fans with another Aupen Easter-egg finding.
Is Aupen still selling jewelry? Though the brand did roll out a jewelry collection at one point, it now only retails this product category “through private trunk shows, debuting limited-edition pieces for our community,” according to Tan.
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Meet the Author
Stacia Datskovska is a Senior Commerce Writer at WWD. Previously, she worked at ELLE DECOR as an assistant digital editor, covering all things luxury, culture, and lifestyle through a design lens. Her bylines over the past five years have appeared in USA Today, Baltimore Sun, Teen Vogue, Boston Globe, Food & Wine, and more. Prior to joining ELLE DECOR, Datskovska learned the ins and outs of e-commerce at Mashable, where she tested products, covered tentpole sales events, and curated gift guide roundups. She graduated from NYU with a bachelor’s degree in journalism and international relations. Datskovska regularly reports on trending accessories and celebrity style.