Local high-end handbag brand aiming for the stars

HUNAN native Yuki Yang’s experience in dealing in pre-loved bags from Hermes and Louis Vuitton was what kickstarted the development of her own label.

Yang had previously run a luxury handbag reselling business in Shanghai, where she moved to in 2005, drawn by the city’s fashion industry. Three years later, she also established a studio restoring and maintaining leather handbags. In 2010, the savvy businesswoman left China for Singapore, opening three retail stores here dealing in pre-loved luxury handbags.

In 2021, the year she became a Singapore citizen, she also launched Abara, her own handbag brand. Last week, she took another major step by opening her first Abara store – a 422-square-foot boutique in Ngee Ann City shopping mall.

Abara’s ready-made leather goods are made with calfskin from Italian tanneries and range from cardholders priced at S$119 to S$918 for the Tr’Apreze – a structured handbag that formed part of the brand’s first ready-made collection launched last year. These are made outside Singapore.

Yang also offers bespoke crocodile skin bags made by craftsmen in Singapore using sustainably sourced leathers. These are priced from S$3,980 for a men’s wallet to S$34,000 for a hand-painted Tr’Apeze. Clients can choose the croc skin colour they want, select between glazed and matte textures, as well as combine different types of leather and colours into one bag. In addition, initials can be embossed and proportions and sizing modified.

One of Abara’s unique selling propositions is that every bespoke handbag it makes can be repaired and restored to its original condition, undoubtedly a concept drawn from Yang’s own experience.

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Yang, who oversees a team of designers, is far from done. Her ambition is to put Singapore on the global fashion map, with plans to expand first to South-east Asia, and then to China.

Judging by her success, Yang’s decision to trade the hills and mountains of Hunan for the bright lights of city life is probably her smartest one.