Emerging fashion brand Aupen has announced a “first-of-its-kind partnership with LVMH Métiers d’Art, as part of its plan to entirely shift its production base to France”.

The strategic link-up will see LVMH Métiers d’Art providing Aupen — known for its bags and jewellery — “with advisory and access to the best-in-class French production facilities that it fully owns, including farms, tanneries, and metalwork companies”.

The brand recently began product development with wholly-owned LVMH entities, including Tanneries Roux and Jade Groupe. The former is the oldest French tannery, founded in 1803, whose clients include Hermès and Louis Vuitton. And Jade Groupe’s clients include Chanel and Schiaparelli.

Aupen was founded only in November 2022 and has already built up a client list of big-name celebrities such as Beyoncé, Taylor Swift, Selena Gomez, Hailey Bieber, Emily Blunt, Emma Stone, Jennifer Lawrence and Kylie Jenner.

The company said its new collaboration “represents a significant milestone for [its] supply chain journey, showcasing [its] dedication to excellence, quality, and innovation as it pivots its production base to France”.

By leveraging LVMH Métiers d’Art’s experience and network, it “aims to innovate and redefine industry benchmarks, pushing the boundaries of excellence in the leather goods sector, a bold move for an emerging brand”.

The first pieces in its collab with LVMH Métiers d’Art will drop in January with its spring 25 collection.

Aupen is an interesting label that works as a collective and deliberately doesn’t push a named designer to the fore.

So with that unusual approach, it’s no surprise that it’s taken an offbeat approach to this new development in its business too.

In early May, it said its design team “took a break” having “received interest from multiple luxury and private equity groups. Ultimately, we decided to partner with LVMH Métiers d’Art. This partnership does not involve any equity, allowing us to remain independent without external ownership. This also grants us access to best-in-class ateliers, a benefit that would have been difficult to achieve as an independent brand”.

The business hasn’t yet restarted and for now is only selling existing designs.

It said that “over the last two weeks, the Aupen and LVMH Métiers d’Art team had convened to finalise the details of our new partnership. We will execute the new plan in the second half of 2024”.

And it added that LVMH had been “particularly impressed by Aupen’s rapid traction in the market” and as well as advisory support, will “grant access similar to that enjoyed by LVMH prize winners”.