From now on, much of Aupen’s production will be in Métiers d’Art factories. Already, Aupen’s hardware is produced at Paris-based Jade Groupe, and handbag leather at Tanneries Roux, which specialises in calfskin and is located about two hours outside of the city. “They work with luxury houses like Hermès, Louis Vuitton and Berluti,” Tan says. “So being able to develop leather articles with them has been a really special opportunity.” Going forward, the brand plans to work with LVMH’s global production partners as well. (A representative from LVMH Métiers d’Art declined to comment on the partnership.)
It’s not just the supply chain that’ll benefit from the partnership. Tan is most excited about the advisory aspect, and the expertise the more novice Aupen team can pull from the LVMH Métiers d’Art team.
He highlights learnings about product-quality control systems. “It doesn’t matter which factory you’re using, there’s that system of quality control and level of detail that we’re learning so that we can implement that across all of our products [and production],” Tan says. Products at Jade Groupe, for example, undergo rigorous testing throughout the production process. Understanding what to test for — and how to test it — are key learnings for Tan and his team.
Photo: Courtesy of Aupen
“As a younger brand, if we didn’t have this support, maybe we would not [pay] so much attention to this detail, and then maybe we would just put it on the market,” Tan says. “But now with this partnership, we are a lot more confident in the quality of the product that we are producing.”
The partnership has pushed the brand in a whole new direction, Tan says. At founding, he didn’t expect to move Aupen’s base beyond Singapore. Now, he’s on the hunt for a Paris studio, so that he and the team can spend more time in the city with the Métiers d’Art teams. “This is not something we can do over Zoom.”
As it puts down roots in France, Aupen is launching its first new product since April: the Lumière Seed bag charm, developed and produced at Jade Groupe, on 1 December. Beyond that, for 2025, Tan is focused on developing the brand’s relationships with the Métiers d’Art teams and implementing their processes in Aupen’s own supply chain to continually improve its quality. “That is the key,” he says, “for a brand to have longevity.”
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