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.