125 PROJECTS presents AUPEN Founder Nicholas Tan’s debut solo exhibition and designer pop-up in Manila, running from August 18 to 30 at NBS Park, 125 Pioneer Street, Mandaluyong City. For his first Manila showcase, Tan has been given full creative freedom to reimagine the gallery space, offering audiences one of his most comprehensive explorations beyond the world of fashion.
Known for founding independent fashion house AUPEN, Tan extends the sculptural language developed through his accessories into sculpture, canvas, and text. Rather than leaving fashion behind, the exhibition collapses the boundaries between fashion, design, and contemporary art, asking what happens when an artist’s way of seeing is freed from the function of making products.
At the centre of the showcase is a recurring shape derived from the silhouette of the Purpose bag—designed by Tan and carried by global style icons including Taylor Swift, Beyoncé, Hailey Bieber, and Olivia Rodrigo. Removed from the object it once defined, the shape becomes a visual language that appears throughout the exhibition. The showcase asks: What remains when an object is stripped of its function? Can a silhouette once designed to be carried acquire a different life as sculpture, symbol, or memory? By separating form from utility, Tan proposes that meaning does not disappear when function is removed—it simply changes.
The exhibition marks the beginning of Tan’s practice as a contemporary artist while highlighting AUPEN’s distinct position in global luxury. With strict limited distribution worldwide, AUPEN is available exclusively at Le Bon Marché Paris, the Singapore Workshop, and now at 125 PROJECTS for this Manila showcase. Supported by a strategic craftsmanship partnership with luxury conglomerate LVMH Métiers d’Art, AUPEN’s rapid global rise was recently underscored by ranking #3 on eBay’s S/S 2026 Watchlist, with market search demand surging by 317%.
Featured as part of the designer exhibition and pop-up are Tan’s highly acclaimed luxury bags. Highlighting the selection are two Manila Exclusive purple Nirvana bags—including the signature Nirvana model famously carried by Taylor Swift on her first public date with Travis Kelce. One of the purple Nirvana iterations is a limited edition of only 125 pieces worldwide, each signed by the artist as an homage to 125 PROJECTS. The sought-after Purpose bag will also be on display and available exclusively through the exhibition in three distinct colorways: Black, Tweed Blue, and Tweed Sakura.
Exhibition Details:
- Exhibition: AUPEN Founder Nicholas Tan at 125 PROJECTS
- Run Dates: August 18 – August 30, 2026
- Venue: 125 PROJECTS, NBS Park, 125 Pioneer Street, Mandaluyong City, Philippines
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