If you’ve been keeping an eye on Hollywood style, chances are you’ve seen AUPEN on the arms of Taylor Swift, Beyoncé, Hailey Bieber, and Olivia Rodrigo.
Now, the creative brain behind the viral fashion house is bringing his art directly to Metro Manila! 125 PROJECTS is hosting AUPEN Founder Nicholas Tan’s very first solo exhibition and designer pop-up in the Philippines, running from August 18 to August 30, 2026, at NBS Park, 125 Pioneer Street, Mandaluyong City.
Given full creative control over the space, Tan is blurring the lines between fashion, design, and contemporary art. Instead of just displaying bags, he takes the signature sculptural silhouettes of his iconic accessories and transforms them into large-scale sculptures, canvas paintings, and text installations—asking what happens when an iconic shape is stripped of its utility and turned into pure art.
Fashion collectors, take note: the pop-up features two purple Manila Exclusive Nirvana bags. One is a special limited-edition run of just 125 pieces created as an homage to 125 PROJECTS, with every single bag signed directly by Nicholas Tan himself. Additionally, the highly sought-after Purpose bag—the ultimate celebrity favorite—will be on display and available for purchase exclusively through the gallery in three distinct colorways: Black, Tweed Blue, and Tweed Sakura.
Whether you’re a fashion enthusiast wanting to get your hands on a rare collector-item bag or an art lover excited to see fashion design reimagined as contemporary sculpture, this is one showcase you won’t want to miss. Head over to 125 PROJECTS starting August 18 to catch the exhibition before it closes on August 30!
