Best for
Designers, photographers, and creative directors who need a high-end portfolio with cinematic transitions
Stack
A ready-made Luxury Portfolio UI you can fork, run, and customize with the prompt pack below.
What's actually inside
The honest engineer's breakdown — what the Luxury Portfoliotemplate does, how it's wired, and where it's opinionated.
The Luxury Portfolio template opens with a FullscreenHero — a true edge-to-edge image or video background with your name and tagline overlaid. A CursorFollower tracks mouse movement with a smooth spring-physics lag, giving the site that premium interactive feel you see on high-end agency sites. Below the hero, ProjectShowcase panels display each project at full viewport width with text that reveals on hover, followed by an editorial AboutSection, a lean ServicesGrid, and a large typographic ContactCTA block.
Framer Motion does the heavy lifting throughout: cursor tracking via motion values, parallax scrolling on project images, and page transition animations when navigating between routes. The template is genuinely impressive out of the box — it's one of the few V0 community templates where the default aesthetic could ship to a real client without modification.
Honest caveats: CursorFollower uses window event listeners that crash during SSR if the component isn't marked as a client component — this is the most common fork-breaker and is covered in detail in the gotchas below. Additionally, the full-bleed FullscreenHero uses viewport units (100vw) that cause horizontal scroll on browsers that include scrollbar width in vw calculations. Both have one-line fixes. The parallax effect also stutters in Firefox — a will-change: transform style prop resolves it.
Key UI components
FullscreenHeroEdge-to-edge image or video hero with overlaid name and tagline — immediate visual impact on arrival
CursorFollowerCustom cursor that follows mouse movement with spring-physics lag for a premium interactive feel
ProjectShowcaseFull-bleed project image panels with hover-reveal text — dramatic work presentation at viewport scale
AboutSectionEditorial-style bio with portrait image and personal brand narrative
ServicesGridMinimal card layout for offered services with commercial clarity
ContactCTALarge typographic call-to-action block with high-contrast design for maximum impact
Libraries it leans on
Framer MotionCursor tracking via motion values, page transitions, parallax scrolling, and hover reveal animations
shadcn/uiStructural components — forms, dialogs, and utility primitives beneath the custom visual layer
next/imageOptimized full-bleed project images with priority loading for above-the-fold performance
Fork it and get it running
Forking this template takes 5 minutes. No API keys needed — it's a static portfolio with no backend. The main thing to test immediately is the CursorFollower, which only works with a real pointer (not a touch screen or the V0 preview touchpad simulation).
Fork the template on V0
Go to https://v0.dev/chat/community/rdC0sxEhnod. The live preview on the right shows the full luxury aesthetic — cursor effect, full-bleed hero, and hover animations. Click the Fork button in the top-right of the preview panel. V0 opens a new chat with the template code ready to customize.
You should see: A new V0 chat opens with the Luxury Portfolio template loaded.
Update your name, tagline, and color palette in Design Mode
Press Option+D (Mac) or Alt+D (Windows) to enter Design Mode. Click on the name text in FullscreenHero to edit it. Update the tagline below it. In the Themes tab, adjust the accent color to match your brand. These edits are free — they don't cost V0 credits.
Tip: Design Mode lets you change text, colors, and spacing visually without spending credits. Save chat prompts for structural changes.
You should see: The preview shows your name, tagline, and updated palette in the FullscreenHero.
Replace placeholder project images in V0 chat
In the V0 chat input, ask V0 to update ProjectShowcase with your project image URLs. Paste the image URLs directly and include the project name and hover description for each. V0 will update the full-bleed panels and regenerate the preview. You can use the 'Replace placeholder projects' prompt from the prompt pack below.
Tip: Use images hosted on a CDN or Supabase Storage for reliable loading. Local file paths won't work.
You should see: ProjectShowcase displays your real project images with hover text.
Test the CursorFollower on a real device
Move your mouse slowly over the V0 preview. The CursorFollower should track your cursor with a visible spring lag. If nothing appears, it may be blocked by the preview iframe. This is expected — test the cursor on the deployed production URL instead. Touch devices don't show the cursor at all, which is correct behavior.
You should see: The custom cursor is visible and follows mouse movement on desktop browsers.
Publish to production
Click Share in the V0 toolbar, then Publish tab, then 'Publish to Production'. Vercel deploys in 30–60 seconds. Open the production URL in a new browser tab and verify: cursor tracking works, parallax scrolls smoothly on ProjectShowcase, and page transitions animate between routes. These effects require the production environment.
You should see: All animations and cursor effects work on the live Vercel URL.
Connect your domain and update ContactCTA links
Go to Vercel Dashboard → your project → Settings → Domains → Add. Point your domain's DNS records to Vercel (they show you exactly which records to create). While there, also update ContactCTA with your real email and social links — either in V0 Design Mode or by prompting V0 to replace them.
You should see: Your luxury portfolio is live at your custom domain.
The prompt pack
Copy-paste these straight into v0's chat to customize the Luxury Portfoliotemplate. Each one names this template's own components — no generic filler.
Update FullscreenHero to an all-black luxury palette
Transforms the default palette into a high-contrast luxury monochrome with gold accents in a single prompt.
Update the Tailwind color palette throughout the template to an all-black luxury aesthetic: background #000000, primary text #FFFFFF, accent gold #C9A84C. Apply background black to FullscreenHero and ProjectShowcase panels, white to all headline text, and gold to hover states, ContactCTA underlines, and ServicesGrid card borders. Remove any grey midtone values from the design.
Replace placeholder projects with your work
Populates all four ProjectShowcase panels with real work and custom hover descriptions.
Update the ProjectShowcase section with 4 of my projects: 1) 'Brand Identity — Noir Studio', full-bleed image: [your URL], hover text: 'Visual identity system for a luxury fragrance brand'. 2) 'Campaign — Luxe Fashion', image: [your URL], hover text: 'Editorial campaign shot in Marrakech'. 3) 'Web Design — Atelier Co', image: [your URL], hover text: 'Conversion-focused e-commerce redesign'. 4) 'Photography — Minimalist Series', image: [your URL], hover text: 'Limited edition print collection'. Keep the full-bleed layout and hover reveal animation.
Add smooth page transitions between routes
Adds cinematic fade transitions between every page — removes the jarring hard-cut on navigation.
Wrap the root layout with an AnimatePresence component from Framer Motion. Create a PageTransition component that uses motion.div with initial={{ opacity: 0 }}, animate={{ opacity: 1 }}, exit={{ opacity: 0 }}, and a transition of 300ms ease-in-out. Set mode='wait' on AnimatePresence so the exit animation completes before the new page mounts. Use the usePathname hook as the AnimatePresence key so transitions fire on every route change.Add password-protected Selected Work section
Gates confidential client work behind a password without requiring a full auth system.
Add a 'Selected Work' section in ProjectShowcase that is gated behind a password modal. When the user clicks a 'View Selected Work' button, show a shadcn/ui Dialog with a single password input. On correct password (read from env var PORTFOLIO_PASSWORD via a server action), set a secure HttpOnly cookie named 'portfolio_access' that expires in 24 hours. If the cookie is valid, show the hidden projects. If the password is wrong, show a 'Incorrect password' error message inside the Dialog.
Persist contact form leads in Supabase with Resend notification
Turns the ContactCTA into a qualified lead capture system with Supabase storage and email notification.
Replace the ContactCTA static email link with a contact form: fields Name, Email, Budget (dropdown: Under $5K, $5K–$20K, $20K+), and Message (textarea min 20 chars). Validate with zod before submitting. On submit, call a server action that: 1) inserts the lead into a Supabase table 'leads' (id uuid, name text, email text, budget text, message text, created_at timestamptz) using SUPABASE_SERVICE_ROLE_KEY; 2) sends a notification email to your address via the Resend API using RESEND_API_KEY. Show a styled 'Thank you, I'll be in touch' confirmation message in the ContactCTA area.
Gotchas when you extend it
The failures people actually hit when they push this template past its defaults — and the exact fix for each.
CursorFollower causes `window is not defined` error on SSRWhy: The cursor tracking code attaches to window.addEventListener('mousemove') at the component's top level. Next.js runs this during server-side rendering where window doesn't exist, crashing the build.
Fix: Add 'use client' to CursorFollower.tsx and move the mousemove event listener into a useEffect with a cleanup return function.
Add 'use client' to CursorFollower.tsx and move the mousemove event listener into useEffect(() => { window.addEventListener('mousemove', handleMove); return () => window.removeEventListener('mousemove', handleMove) }, [])Framer Motion parallax stutters in Firefox on ProjectShowcase panelsWhy: Firefox handles will-change and CSS transform compositing differently from Chrome. Without an explicit will-change hint, Firefox drops frames on heavy parallax elements.
Fix: Add style={{ willChange: 'transform' }} to every Framer Motion motion.div element that has a parallax y transform in ProjectShowcase.
Add willChange: 'transform' to the style prop of every Framer Motion parallax element in ProjectShowcase
FullscreenHero causes horizontal scroll on Windows Chrome and FirefoxWhy: 100vw includes the scrollbar width on browsers that show a scrollbar by default. When the hero is set to w-screen (which maps to 100vw), it's slightly wider than the viewport on Windows, causing horizontal overflow.
Fix: Replace w-screen with w-full on the FullscreenHero container. w-full respects the content box without including scrollbar width.
Replace className='w-screen' with className='w-full' on FullscreenHero to prevent horizontal overflow on mobile
Page transitions flash white between routes when using AnimatePresenceWhy: AnimatePresence exits the old page and mounts the new one in parallel by default. There's a brief gap between exit animation completion and the new page's initial render, causing a white flash.
Fix: Set mode='wait' on AnimatePresence and ensure the new page component has initial={{ opacity: 0 }} so it starts invisible and fades in cleanly.
Set mode='wait' on the AnimatePresence wrapper and add initial={{ opacity: 0 }} animate={{ opacity: 1 }} to the PageTransition componentTemplate vs. custom — the honest call
A forked template gets you far, fast. Here's where it holds up, and where you'll outgrow it.
The template is enough when
- You need a stunning portfolio to win high-end design or photography clients quickly without weeks of build time
- The cinematic CursorFollower and full-bleed ProjectShowcase aesthetic matches your brand without heavy modification
- You're a solo creative and don't need multi-user CMS or team features
- The custom cursor and full-bleed layout clearly distinguish you from standard portfolio templates
Go custom when
- You need a full booking system or project inquiry workflow with CRM integration (HubSpot, Pipedrive)
- You want video reel autoplay with custom player controls and scrubbing
- You need i18n for French/English or other language markets with localized routes
- Your work requires a complex filterable case study system with tags, categories, and search
RapidDev specializes in taking luxury V0 portfolio prototypes to production — adding inquiry forms, Supabase lead capture, and performance optimization for Core Web Vitals.
Frequently asked questions
Is this luxury portfolio template free to use?
Yes, it's free to fork on v0.dev. The template itself has no cost. V0's free tier provides enough credits to personalize it. Vercel hosting is free for personal projects, and a custom domain is the only optional paid component.
Can I use this template commercially — for example to attract paying design clients?
Yes. V0 community templates are available for commercial use with no attribution required. You own the forked code and can build any commercial product on top of it, including using it as a client-attracting portfolio.
Why does my fork crash in preview with a 'window is not defined' error?
The CursorFollower component uses window.addEventListener in its component body, which crashes during Next.js server-side rendering. Add 'use client' to CursorFollower.tsx and move the event listener into a useEffect hook. The fix prompt in the gotchas section above is copy-paste ready.
The CursorFollower doesn't appear in the V0 preview. Is it broken?
No — the cursor effect is likely blocked by the V0 preview iframe or isn't triggering on touch devices. Deploy to production via Share → Publish → Publish to Production and test on a desktop browser with a real mouse. It will work on the live URL.
How do I add my own project images to ProjectShowcase?
Paste your image URLs and project details into the V0 chat and ask it to update ProjectShowcase. Use the 'Replace placeholder projects' prompt from the prompt pack above. Images should be hosted on a CDN (Supabase Storage, Cloudflare Images, etc.) — local file paths won't work.
Will the animations perform well on mobile?
The core layout is responsive. The CursorFollower won't appear on touch devices (correct behavior — there's no cursor). Parallax effects on ProjectShowcase may be reduced on some mobile browsers. The ContactCTA and AboutSection render correctly on all screen sizes.
Can RapidDev customize this luxury portfolio for a client project?
Yes. RapidDev regularly takes luxury V0 portfolio prototypes and extends them with lead capture forms, Supabase storage, Resend email notifications, and Core Web Vitals optimization for client delivery.
Outgrowing the template?
RapidDev turns v0 prototypes into production apps — real auth, database, and payments — at $13K–$25K.
Book a free consultation30-min call. No commitment.