Martine Assouline
Co-Founder + Publisher
Assouline
(Luxury Books + Home Collection)
Martine and Prosper Assouline
ON THE SURFACE Martine Assouline gives the appearance of most sophisticated and cultured French women, but she is a far more complex individual than at first blush. Proving, once and for all you cannot judge a book, or a book publisher, by its cover.
"Rene Magritte: The Empire of Images" by Pierre Sterckx , an early oversize Assouline hit
Assouline was born in Africa and grew up in the former French colony Ivory Coast/Côte d’Ivoire, which gained its independence from France in1960. Subsequently, she moved to Lima, Peru, before eventually settling in France. In 1991 she married Moroccan-born Prosper Assouline in St. Tropez; a year later she gave birth to the couples only child, a son, Alexandre, and four years later the life partners became business partners when they co-founded Assouline Publishing. Together they moved from France to New York City where they live today.
Their initial goal was simple; to publish books (primarily of the coffee table variety) on previously unaddressed subjects, or classic subjects (the word “classic” is one Mrs. Assouline uses with some frequency) handled differently than others had before. Assouline books, they decided at the outset, would have a way of capturing culture and bringing it to life through elegant, high quality coffee table books with exquisite photography.
"South Pole", a spring 2012 Assouline release
Two Volume Set "Cocktails & Amuse-Bouches" by Daniel Boulud
Because of their attention to detail, Assouline books embarked on a stratospheric ascent and eventually pierced the highest echelons of the fine book publishing world, in a league with Taschen, Rizzoli (and its imprint Flammarion), Steidl and the stalwart Abrams in rather short order. Their sumptuous and chic boutiques not only solidified their brand position, they’ve elevated Assouline to the status of a true lifestyle brand. These flagship stores, in Paris, New York, Las Vegas, South Coast Plaza and Istanbul have led to the next logical foray into home furnishings and accessories. This brand expansion may seem to be ill-timed, as few things in this ever-persistent recession have taken a beating the way furnishings have, however, bold moves have a way of proving in hindsight to be a stroke of genius. Certainly it exemplifies Mr. and Mrs. Assouline as big picture visionaries—savoir faire is indeed everywhere—n’est pas?
The Assouline NYC boutique in the Plaza Hotel
The lofty Assouline headquarters in West Chelsea have an unfettered view of lower Manhattan, the Hudson River and New York Harbor—they are the epitome of an elegant, creative space. Madame Assouline and I sat in her spacious book-lined, art-filled private office over a bone-china cup of tea, and had one of the most delightful conversations I have had in years.
How would you describe an Assouline book? It is a visual object as well as editorial content. For us, each subject merits a different type of paper, color, and texture. The stitching, the binding, the print are all part of the design. Every book has two missions: first to be part of your life and your décor, and second to bring you knowledge. The books are meant to be meaningful and inspirational. The South Pole book celebrating the 100th anniversary of the [British Antarctic /Terra Nova Expedition 1910-1913] voyage is a good example: The special waterproof edition is incredible and the first luxury survival book of its kind. The materials we use make our projects long lasting pieces of art. It is very difficult for me to talk about a book; it is like talking about a dress you have designed.
What’s your definition of luxury? For me, luxury is linked to two concepts—the aesthetic pleasure and variety. Something that is rare- a hotel, a car, a watch, a book, something not everyone has access to. It is the notion of having something you know is rare and psychological. My life is surrounded by beauty, so it is my mission to bring this to people when I publish a book. It is not a question of money; it is about having the two components together, which define luxury.
What’s your assessment of the luxury market today? For me, the luxury market today is a planet called LVMH. Those are the people who are buying and creating everything. Maybe one day they will need books! Less is more, today people are investing in quality over quantity. The world today is very digital and very fast, and we need to have a reality. We need to have books. The only things that will remain with us are books.
Is the US still a market driver for your business? Yes, absolutely. Our clients are mainly people who are sophisticated and curious. They come from different cities, which the US has a great many of. American mentality is very curious and for us this remains a big place in the market. However, I will say that there is a difference between all of the US and New York. New York City is an ideal platform. All of the business, exchanges with Asia, Europe- everything comes to New York. You are in Paris for fashion. But if you want to do business, you come to New York.
What has been your most challenging project to date? The most challenging project is not a book, it is to turn a publishing house into a luxury brand in the field of culture, which is a new concept but we feel we have done it. From the beginning, we took great care to build our image, which is very important to do for your business. If we had the opportunity to do good business with a risky image, we wouldn’t do it. Image is more important to us than making money.
I found people in America much more curious and open than in France. The first to understand our concept was Ron Frasch, then CEO of Bergdorf Goodman. He heard the idea, not just to be a publisher but also to reevaluate a book and be different. It is about respect and creativity. We have published books with the biggest brands in the world in fashion, architecture, travel. People know what we do and they ask us to put their brand on our books. They trust us. It is about a total library, and all the books have a different style. It started with Bergdorf Goodman, then a boutique in Paris, and then all of our other boutiques around the world followed.
Describe the ideal Assouline client… My ideal client is curious, aesthetical, loves décor, and has a little bit of everything. I love people to discover, like Laduree, the taste of the macaroon. It’s a difficult question to answer. A year ago we started selling on the Internet. For me, this is a whole new audience and I am trying to understand who they are. Someone with a curious spirit, enthusiastic, and someone that appreciates what we do, looks at the paper, the design, and the art that goes into our products. People like to discover in America!
We have a range of books with various prices, but the quality, creativity, and attention is all the same. We don’t have a recipe to publish books, it is not like that. Our client wants something with expression and with a soul, and they are willing to pay for it just like a fine pair of shoes.
What’s the ‘next big thing’? The future for us is not in a book, not even in publishing. The future is in furniture. We have been working for a year on building Assouline Home and we are ready to find investors in the next few months. We launched this concept in the Neiman Marcus Christmas Book, an excessive product, and the Assouline Bespoke Library was featured as a Fantasy Gift. It was sold in the first day, and this is the business that we will be in tomorrow. When you think about an Assouline library, you think about different styles and lines. “New classical,” is what we call it, a contemporary feeling. All this is in motion and we are creating furniture, carpeting, lighting, and more.
New from Farameh books is “Objects Of Desire: Desire Is What Leads You Through Life”, edited by Patrice Farameh. In spite of of the redundancies in the title this is one stunning tome that “showcases the ultimate artisanal, specialty and bespoke objects that elicit desire and those strong emotions that one would never expect an inanimate object to produce. Culled from around the globe, the selection of these luxurious objects might sometimes be surprising, but most always the ones that are lusted after and adored for their unique design and painstaking craftsmanship based on the highest degree of human focus and ingenuity. These precious objects possess a kind of beauty that establishes intimate emotional connections that are based on traditions of artistry and integrity, free of any traces of showiness and the overt vulgarity of the “better with bling” era. Serving as tangible reflections of personal histories and expressions of good taste, these desired pieces enter lives to become tomorrow’s heirlooms.” Coming in at weighty 496 pages, this hardcover (with slipcase) is, all things considered, relatively modest at $125.00/ € 90.00 / £ 80.00.
