Yesterday I went to meet Rem Koolhaas at the Taschen store. He was lovely and old, which is great - it would have been terrible if this master was a young-looking 45. I was going to take a picture, but forgot to load the memory card in my camera!

And today was the opening of his new Prada epicenter, right in my neighborhood, so I went to take a look. Last year I went to the downtown New York store and came away with a distinctly gehennic impression: everything is stocked in a basement labyrinth - mannequin limbs litter the below-ground mezzanine level on the way down - you were going to suffer to look good, and pay for it. Beverly Hills is heaven by comparison; you have this wide open entryway, the display is more traditional, and it’s a much more welcoming experience overall. They wouldn’t allow photography inside, so all I have for you is the exterior, but check the NYT wrap-up for more snaps.

Oh, and my dream came true - the $860 bocce sets were on sale. What do you get for your $785 luxury premium? A strappy leather carrier, a Prada sea-foam green pallino, and balls with very high-test gloss.