Rappers’ fascination with luxury brands is far from dying down: following this summer’s surprise hit “Gucci Gucci” by Kreayshawn, it is Soulja Boy who is expressing his fashion love with an EP dedicated to Bernard Arnault.

Soulja Boy has turned his attention to Arnault’s signature brand Louis Vuitton, offering lyrics such as: “It don’t make no sense why they LV fake. But mine’s real!”

But while Soulja Boy manages to mention and correctly pronounce the label more than 60 times, Arnault likely won’t be pleased with being called Robert instead of Bernard several times as part of the new song.

Louis Vuitton Moët Hennessy has announced open days at their European artisan workshops, ateliers, and vineyards for two days in October.

WWD reports that on the 15th and 16th of the month, the public will be able to experience what happens behind the doors of the luxury conglomerate’s brands that include fashion houses Louis Vuitton, Givenchy, and Dior, jewelry maker De Beers, and champagne labels Moët & Chandon, Veuve Clicquot, and Dom Pérignon.

Bernard Arnault told the paper: “Products are one thing, but how they’re made, who makes them, and where is also of interest to the public.”

LVMH Moet Hennessy Louis Vuitton SA, the world’s largest maker of luxury goods, seems to be having an inspirational spring shopping time.

Just one week after sealing the deal to acquire Italian jewelry house Bulgari, LVMH joins the race for the celebrities’ shoemaker, Jimmy Choo.

As Sunday Times reported this weekend, the shoe brand, founded by Tamara Mellon, could be sold for as much as $804 million.

Carlos Slim Helu remained the world’s richest person, but Asia is where today’s big money is flowing, Forbes magazine said in its 2011 list of the world’s billionaires.

Slim, who is almost unknown to the general public outside Mexico, weighed in at a staggering $74 billion of net wealth thanks to his telecoms empire. Already the top dog last year, he increased his fortune by $20.5 billion dollars.

In a now familiar second place was Microsoft founder Bill Gates with $56 billion. The relatively lowly ranking reflected his enormous philanthropic give-aways over the year.

French luxury group LVMH has agreed to buy Rome-based jeweler Bulgari SpA in a cash-and-shares deal worth euro4.3 billion ($6 billion).

The deal will see Bulgari’s founding family become the second largest family shareholders in LVMH behind that of Chief Executive Bernard Arnault.

LVMH also announced a tender offer of 12.25 euros per share to acquire the remaining shares of Bulgari, a 61 percent premium over where they were trading before the announcement.

LVMH said Tuesday it had increased its stake in smaller rival Hermes to more than 20 percent, sparking fresh speculation about its ultimate intentions.

Mr. Arnault surprised the family behind Hermès two months ago by announcing he had racked up a 17.1% stake in their company.

LVMH said in a statement to the market regulator that as of Dec 17 it held 20.21 percent of Hermes after buying more shares on the open market.