Prada is one of those brands that come under the “status symbols” list. If you do not own a Prada, you are probably not even closely part of the fashion circuit. Paris currently is the venue for a new and quite avant-garde Prada Contemporary Store which is temporary and surprises shoppers with graphic illusions.

The illusions within the shop and also from the outside recreate the city’s identity. Thanks to striking abstract perspective graphic illusions you could see the first bridge of Paris, the Mirabeau Bridge which was immortalized by Guillaume Apollinaire’s poem. The interiors are decorated with lilac carpeting and couches. It also recreates Prada’s first store in 1913 through chequered marble floors.

The store still does not have any products but will soon retail Prada women’s ready-to-wear, bags, accessories and footwear. The two level space was designed by Roberto Baciocchi and would be open to the public until 2010. If you are visiting Paris for Christmas or New Year, make sure you shop at Prada’s temporary store and experience Paris in an illusory manner. Prada after all is one of the best luxury houses around for almost a century.

Via: Design Boom

The ultimate biker’s dream woull definitely include scouting around the world in a Ducati. Now, owning one of the roadsters manufactured by this brand is not a possibility for some of us and for those of us who can might want to invest in a luxury car rather than a luxury bike which you have no time to drive between home and office. Enter Columbus International, a new company which offers a great way of touring France sitting on your dream bike without going through the hassle of buying one.

Yes, you heard us right. Columbus International is organising tours to various exotic destinations in France using different Ducati motorcycles like the latet Streetfighter, Moster S2R 1000, Hypermotard 1100 and Supersport 848 just to name a few.

The tour options include – Gourmet Tour, a High Octane Tour, Offshore Ride Tour and Nature Tour. Some special packages like MotoGP and Formula One let you enjoy helicopter rides and VIP treatment. The cheapest holiday tour will cost $8,000 while the most expensive is for $16,500. Also, you can just rent out a Ducati Streetfighter for $345 or a Monster for $275.

Via motorbiker

Vuitton will create a trunk for anything that you wish to carry around, provided it can be fitted in a trunk and is actually portable. The expert trunk makers will leave no stone unturned in their effort to create a trunk for almost everything on the planet. With time and hundreds of thousands of dollars poured into each and every custom crafted trunk, it is a brand of lavish luxury and exclusivity. Their most recent creation is the Bespoke Vuitton iPod Trunk that has been specifically crafted on the wishes of media giant Karl Lagerfeld.

The French trunk makers have made this special iPod trunk truly royal with black Taiga leather along with brass fittings and a red microfiber interior. The trunk also contains an interior case which holds 20 iPods and a power charger. There are compartments for JBL iPod speakers and subwoofer, and Lagerfeld’s initials are stamped in red near the handle. Now why would anyone want space to carry around 20 iPods is anyone’s guess!

You can also get a trunk for about anything you want from Vuitton and you can be sure it will be exclusive. I suggest we get a trunk to carry around trunks!

Via: Luxist

Citroen turned 60 recently and that obviously was a reason to celebrate. So, fashion house Hermès designed a special edition just for the Paris Motor Show on October 7th. The idea was to further highlight the car’s friendly and generous forms. Though some did have problems with the extremely gaudy crime-against-taste look of the Bugatti Veyron Fbg par Hermès, the more pedestrian 2CV was a total hit.

There was another extra frill that won the car some brownie points. Yep, the leather and cotton canvas paired with the bone-interior completed the timelessness of the vehicle, two things that are no longer found in modern vehicles. The birthday of this legendary car is also being honoured by the Citè des Sciences et de l’Industrie in Paris. An exhibition was opened on April 15th and is scheduled yo run til November 30th this year.

Via Jalopink / Hypebeast

Yes, it is the same world’s most expensive house on the French Riviera but a different buyer. Whilst last month, there was a news that Russian billionaire Roman Abarmovich inked a deal with the La Leopolda, priciest house ever by spilling over $500 million. But the rumor is lately proven to be false and here is a revision version. Another Russian billionaire became the fortunate buyer for the princely villa located on the French Mediterranean coast after shelling out £390 million. The Telegraph reports that a secrecy Russian billionaire who is not Abramovich gave over all his fortune for Villa Leopolda, a Belle Époque mansion in Villefrance on the Côte d’Azur.

The house is owned by Lily Safra, widow of Edmond Safra, a Lebanese banker who was killed by an arsonist’s fire in Monaco in 2003. Within few years, the news came that the house was bought by Bill Gates and became the worlds most prized estate. The estate is spread over two guest houses across 20 acres of grounds with countless olive, cypress and lemon trees taken care by 50 gardeners.

Via Telegraph

UPDATE: Russian Billionaire inked deal with worlds most expensive house, Villa La Leopolda for £390 million.

Another update for realtors and a reason to be jealous for billionaires! The saga of worlds most expensive house started over at elitechoice with $180 mn Belgravia house (Britain’s most expensive), which got sidelined with then worlds most home for £80 million. Then the surge in the price of realty market was observed and an apartment got sold for $200 mn and during the same month news came about Mittal tagging a deal with $230 mn house touting it to be the worlds most expensive home once again.

But this time Russian billionaire, Roman Abramovich overshadowed Mittals realty possessions by owning a $500 million La Leopolda. The latest worlds most expensive house now belongs to the owner of Chelsea Football Club. The regal summit villa overlooks the French Rivieraand Roman his heart to this beauty while he was visiting this along with his girlfriend Daria Zhukova.

Known to hold the best sea views in the south of France, the villa is spread across 10 acres of spotless grounds that run right downhill to the route of Villefranche. At first built for Belgian king Leopolds mistresses, the estate hold eternal value as it has been a den of big moguls i.e. late banking magnate Edmund Safra, Microsoft founder Bill Gates and Fiat tycoon Gianni Agnelli.

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Lynching off a hill close to Riberac in the Dordogne region of France is a house developed and designed in 1972 offering an appeal similar to that of Bond villain’s summer retreat – Mas Marguerita. Constructed by an anonymous Italian architect, this glass and steel house was erected for his own living. It features two bedrooms, an open-plan kitchen, dining room, living room, bathroom and a south-facing balcony overshadowing the countryside garden together with swimming pool. Due for listing in France, this prominent estate is up for sale demanding £230,000.

If you don’t have this spare amount then you can relish your stay here by being on rent. Unfortunately the house is already booked for this summer.

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Via TheModernHouse