How Aupen Took Down a Counterfeit Ring in China

Viral bag brand's Singaporean founder Nicholas Tan worked with Chinese authorities to launch an investigation that led to a factory raid

- Louisa Lim

On a crisp autumn day in September 2024, Chinese authorities raided a factory in Guangdong province, uncovering stacks of counterfeit handbags totaling one million yuan (S$183,430).

Each bore the unmistakable design of Aupen, the home-grown brand that has taken the celebrity world by storm ever since American pop star Taylor Swift was photographed carrying its black Nirvana bag in October 2023.

Undercover surveillance had confirmed what Aupen's Singaporean founder Nicholas Tan had suspected for months: This factory, employing over 2,000 workers, was churning out thousands of fake Aupen bags, flooding the market with dupes that traded off the brand's rising prestige.

The counterfeit merchandise was seized, and nine individuals, including ringleaders and a factory foreman, were arrested.

Investigations are still ongoing, with the authorities now tracing the broader counterfeit network that extends beyond just one factory.

Speaking to The Straits Times over the phone from Milan, Italy, on Feb 19, Mr Tan, 35, reflects on the moment he truly grasped the importance of intellectual property protection.

It was Swift who drove home the lesson, when the 35-year-old singer-songwriter was embroiled in a public dispute with American talent manager and entrepreneur Scooter Braun to reclaim ownership of her master recordings in 2019.