Yay for zebra print mixed with flirty tassels and a feminine, puffy shape. This is the Safari Pouchette by Marc Jacobs and I love Net-a-Porter's idea of pairing it with a sleek business outfit for a chic punch of energy and style (although it could also work well for a casual party). It's a pony-skin bag with a drawstring closure, accented with tassels galore on blue and bronze rope ends and snake-effect leather flower charms that dangle off the bag's front. Other features include a bright blue leather lining (unusual) with an interior zip pocket. $1,895

If you were to commission Louis Vuitton to create a bespoke trunk made to hold anything you desire, what would it be? Last year we wrote about Karl Lagerfeld's custom Vuitton trunk made to hold his collection of 20 iPods. Pretty cool if a little over-the-top. A Chinese gentleman has commissioned something more grandiose and yet more mundane from the famed French luxury goods house, which will produce anything within reason.

The client "wanted to be able to watch television and offer coffee to his friends wherever he traveled in the world, including the remotest desert," LV's Patrick-Louis Vuitton recounts. "We agreed to put two solar panels linked to a battery for the flat-screen TV and DVD player, two-way radio, tuner and coffee machine." The trunk (above), covered in Damier canvas, took a year and tens of thousands of dollars to complete.

Meanwhile, Vuitton creative director Marc Jacobs remarked at the Met Costume Institute Gala in New York last night that luxurious trunks are not likely to make a comeback. "I don't think there's anything practical about travelling with a trunk," Jacobs said. "Luxury travel is traveling with a toothbrush. That's it, end of story. The people who really live luxurious lives don't need to pack. They've got stuff wherever they go."

English store Selfridges is pulling out all the stops to celebrate its 100 birthday. And the iconic department store has hit a bit of luck, its signature color, the bright canary yellow Pantone 109 just happens to be one of the hot colors for spring. Selfridges has collaborated with a variety of designers to create exclusive yellow and black merchandise. Shown above is a quartet from the many offerings: bright yellow Chuck Taylors from Converse, a Marc Jacobs purse, a Giles Deacon dress and a pair of Guiseppe Zanotti heels. The limited edition collection of pieces will be available starting next month.

[via Vogue UK]

I love pink and green together! That's a big part of why I love this Marc Jacobs Robert Jennifer bag as much as I do, plus it's got a lot going on without giving off the impression that it wants to take over your outfit and steal the show. It's described as "evoking the exotic" and "urban safari" but I don't necessarily get that vibe, since when is safari and exotic found in geometrical patterns and bright fuchsia? I like it nonetheless though, with interesting features including the gold chain and green acrylic strap, multicolored leather tassels, and bronze silk lining. $3,400

The Marc by Marc Jacobs Totally Turnlock Percy Bag is a smart, luxury bag which gives the illusion of "no frills."

This purse might look plain to you, but you haven't touched it. The soft, pliable, pebble-toned leather gently encases this bag, which includes two turnlock front pockets and a generous, 23" strap.

The Totally Turnlock Percy Bag is lined with a bold signature print in black and white cotton, and its pebble color is versatile enough for day or night. You could even remove the strap and carry it to dinner as a clutch -- but why would you, with long straps being so fashionable this season?

The Marc by Marc Jacobs Totally Turnlock Percy Bag is available from Saks Fifth Avenue for $198.00.

Louis Vuitton designer Marc Jacobs is said to have signed a contract to buy a $13 million townhouse (above) designed by starchitect Robert A.M. Stern in New York's West Village, the Real Estalker reports. The 4,5000-sq.-ft. townhouse, located on Bethune St., is part of the ambitious, ecologically-friendly Superior Ink development which has also attracted the likes of Hilary Swank. The townhouse features its own all-level elevator, wood-burning fireplaces, a designer garden and rooftop terrace.

The Superior Ink Condominiums and Townhouses are newly constructed structures located on the site of the former Superior Ink factory that was built in 1919. The high-priced complex's luxury amenities include a private screening room, an entertainment lounge, a fitness center with a Pilates/yoga room, a children's playroom, 24-hour valet parking, and 24-hour concierge and doorman services in the tower, pictured above at left. Buyers have a choice of luxurious custom finishes.

The Marc by Marc Jacobs Puckered Mouse Embossed Hobo comes in just one color, this brilliant and totally unexpected "Poppy."

The "buttery soft" orange leather of this generous 17"W X 14"H X 4"D bag is embossed with the Marc Jacobs logo, and gently gathers at the top to create a classic shape. The closure you see is a pushlock, and unlocking the flap reveals a bright pink, blue, and purple floral patterned cotton lining, as well as two interior pockets.

The bold color of the purse makes it immediately decadent, while its simple shape and modest closure keep it subtle. This "Poppy" color is extremely versatile -- it would be excellently paired with white, black, or blue.

The Marc by Marc Jacobs Puckered Mouse Embossed Hobo is available from Saks Fifth Avenue for $558.

The Amazon Shoulder Bag by Marc Jacobs is definitely not meant for the resident wall-flower at the party with vibrant hues, a mix of animal prints (including python, hairhide, and patchwork) and multiple flowery leather tassels dangling all over the place -- plus a little golden padlock detail. Very bold and retro-eighties. Unfortunately it's a shoulder bag (I think a clutch would work better with a crazy design like this) and features a layered flap top.

I think this bag is completely and totally horrendous, but if I ever see a woman carrying it I will respect her (for the guts). $2,850

Ah, the 1980s, architectural hair sprayed into place, heavy eye makeup, neon bright clothes, sharp shoulders. All this and more was on display during Marc Jacobs's Fall '09 collection show on Monday during New York Fashion Week. The show brought back artsy 1980s Manhattan in looks made for clubbing.Jacobs, as quoted by the Wall Street Journal's Heard on the Runway said the show was a tribute to "What New York used to be before it was gentrified and such a boring place to live – when artists could make a living here." Jacobs recently celebrated th graffiti stylings of Stephen Sprouse and this new line further cemented Jacobs current love affair with 1980s style.

Tis the season for love, hearts, and girliness, and the Big Heart Zip Clutch by Marc Jacobs doesn't fail us! Leather appliqués in varying shades (of pink and purple of course) and textures generously cover the front and back, and almost look like they're floating around the bag as opposed to being stuck on it. Other than the hearts aplenty the design is pretty simple, featuring a gold hardware zip-tip closure, fine textile lining, and an interior patch pocket.

I really like it, although the color scheme gets on my nerves a little (I think red, white, and black would be awesome). $795

I love this bag! I love its name, its coloring, everything. Called the Big Slice clutch from Marc by Marc Jacobs, it immediately makes me think of a big refreshing slice of cool summer fruit. It's really a wristlet since it has the short strap on one side, which I like because it makes it much more versatile and suitable for casual, day-to-day use. Made of crinkled leather in mint green, it features a large zip top compartment (the strap attaches to the zipper), a smaller pocket on the front with a flap over turnlock closure, and a signature black and white print lining. $250

From Jaunted:
--The New Orleans home used in the movie "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button" is now on the market. The Victorian-era mansion, shown above, has six bedrooms, a library, music room and reception hall. It is listed at $2.85 million.

From the Wall Street Journal's Private Properties:
--The house where the reality show "Momma's Boys" was recently filmed, the gorgeous Terra Bella estate in Santa Barbara, California, has had another price reduction. The home was for sale for $39.5 million when it was our estate of the day in 2007 but is now listed at $21.8 million, 45% below its original listing. The listing is here.
--Goldman Sachs Co-President Jon Winkelried has cut the price of his Nantucket beach estate to $38.5 million, down 30% from October's original price of $55 million.

From the International Herald Tribune's Raising the Roof:
--Two ambitious Dubai projects are reportedly on hold. The Nakheel Tower was designed as the tallest building in the world but construction on the foundation has been halted. The $95 billion Jumeira Gardens project is also said to be in limbo.
--A medieval castle once ruled by Charlemagne, the "King of the Franks," is for sale in Italy. The castle on the border of Tuscany and Umbria dates to 802 and is priced at €13 million.

From the Real Estalker:
--Guns N' Roses and Velvet Revolver drummer Matt Sorum has placed his home in the Doheny Estates area of the Hollywood Hills on the market for $2.975 million. The listing is here.
--Comedienne Chelsea Handler and E! executive Ted Harbert soent $3.7 million on a condo in the Azzure building in Marina del Rey, California.

From the LA Times Hot Properties:
--Old Lion Manor, a lavish mansion once owned by "The Exorcist" author William Peter Blatty is on the market for $27.5 million. We'll be checking it out later this week as an estate of the day.
--Actor Nick Bakay has sold his Sierrra Towers condo in West Hollywood for $2 million.
--Actress Julie Bowen has put her Studio City home on the market. It's our estate of the day later today.
--Deborah Pratt, who wrote, acted in and co-produced the TV series "Quantum Leap," has listed her five-bedroom Holmby Hills-area home for $3.895 million. The listing is here.
--Singer Daniel Powter has listed his four-bedroom contemporary home in the Brentwood area for $2.295 million. The listing is here.

From the NY Post's Gimme Shelter:
--Fashion designer Marc Jacobs has rented an apartment at 40 Mercer Street for $30,000 a month. The building is also home to Harry Potter/"Equus" star Daniel Radcliffe who listed his apartment for rent in 2007 for $20,000 a month.
-- TV journalist Cathleen Trigg-Jones and her husband, plastic surgeon, Michael Jones, have put their Hamilton Heights townhouse on the market for $4 million. The listing is here.

From Berg Properties Big Time Listings:
--Actress and TV personality Caroline Rhea has sold her Hancock Park home for $3.2 million.
--Mr. Big Time rounds up Warren Beatty's real estate listings including a large spread in Beverly Hills.
--The Roy Rogers Double R Bar Ranch in Victorville, California is on the market for $8.5 million. The listing is here.
--A home in Encino once owned by Macy Gray has had a significant price cut down to $8.485 million. It was originally listed at $11.7 million. The listing is here.
--A home used in the Bachelor and Bachelorette television shows has had another price cut. The six-bedroom Agoura Hills, California mansion is now listed at $6.75 million, down from an original price of $13 million. The listing is here.

Three weeks from now you may be invited on a romantic outing and it's important to feel you're dressed to celebrate cupid's holiday. For instance, a brightly colored bag would not only spice up your outfit but the intensity of color is bound to make you feel sexy the way a pair of great stilettos put a little pep in your step. In the gallery are a variety of appropriately chosen bags from clutches to hobos such as the Marc Jacobs Iris Sequin bag above -- surely one of them will speak to your lovestruck heart. Why not make a sensational fashion statement this Valentine's Day.

Late fashion designer and artist Stephen Sprouse is back in fashion news. A retrospective of his graffiti prints and neon aesthetic called "Rock on Mars" will be shown at Deitch Projects' 18 Wooster Street gallery in New York City from Jan. 8 to Feb. 28 and a new book "The Stephen Sprouse Book," by Roger Padilha and Mauricio Padilha is due out from Rizzoli New York at the start of 2009. WWD reveals that Marc Jacobs, who collaborated with Sprouse on a line for Louis Vuitton in 2001 (Sprouse died in 2004), is creating a new, limited edition collection of accessories and ready-to-wear. And once again, Jacobs took the chance to show off his gym-fit body, posing only with only a bag covering his nether region and Sprouse-style graffiti adorning his skin in a shoot for Harper's Bazaar shot by Terry Richardson.

Jacobs has taken two Sprouse motifs the graffiti lettering and the rose and put them over the classic Vuitton Monogram print on Vuitton's Keepall, Speedy and Neverfull bag styles as well as sneakers shoes and other accessories. The clothing includes a mackintosh raincoat with a graffiti and monogram lining, eggings and a long-sleeve neon minidress. Vuitton will also launch a website, welovesprouse.com later this month which will include interviews with people who knew Sprouse.

Despite the fact that, as we reported last month, Louis Vuitton designer Marc Jacobs is getting sick of the fashion house's frequent collaboration projects, director Sofia Coppola has just signed on to design a new capsule collection for the brand. Coppola, a close friend of Jacobs' who recently appeared in a Vuitton ad (above) with her famed father Francis Ford Coppola, will reportedly create a range of handbags and shoes for the company. Though nothing's been confirmed, it's expected that the new collection will initially only be available in Japan like LV's current collaboration with Comme des Garçons designer Rei Kawakubo.

"I've kind of warned everybody up there [at LV] that I think they've gotten a little too into this idea ," Jacobs said of the collaboration projects just last month. "I'm glad that everybody gets behind it, but what they don't realize is that I do it at a pace that maintains the brand's integrity and seems really right, and I think that sometimes everybody loves a good idea so much that they kind of go too far and it kind of kills it." Perhaps he's making an exception for personal friends like Coppola.