TOMES TO BE TREASURED
Since its inception, countless luxury brands, iconic artists, designers, photographers and chefs have had their stories told by Assouline, and every luxurious tome is testament to the company's commitment to quality and style. The luxury book emporium recently launched its latest outpost at The Peninsula Hong Kong..
Since its inception, countless luxury brands, iconic artists, designers, photographers and chefs have had their stories told by Assouline, and every luxurious tome is testament to the company’s commitment to quality and style. The luxury book emporium recently opened its latest outpost at The Peninsula Hong Kong.
It's a sweltering mid-summer afternoon in Manhattan as the sartorially elegant Martine Assouline emerges from a meeting room into the expansive brick-walled office that now serves as the official headquarters of Assouline, a unique force in the world of luxury book publishing. Asking where we would like to sit and converse, Mrs. Assouline takes the upper hand and decides on a high table adjacent to her husband Prosper's formidable open-plan office. Surrounded by antique typewriters and a multitude of highly impressive, luxurious coffee table books (although some are so large, they actually require a dining table to be displayed), she proceeds to tell her story.
“We first came to New York in 1999, and found this office in what was then a building predominantly occupied by artists,” states Assouline, her gentle voice tinged with a light French accent. “At that time we were selling rights to the US, so we decided to come over and just put our names on the wall because being based in New York was a way for us to expand internationally, and more people buy books in English here.”
Assouline has published more than 1,000 exquisite books celebrating photography, fashion, the arts, travel and the good life since 1994. The first book created by the owners, ‘La Colombe d'Or', paid tribute to the exclusive boutique hotel filled with art in Saint-Paul de Vence in the south of France where the Assoulines often spent weekends. Martine herself wrote the text and her husband took the photographs. It was following this release that the company was officially established, with Prosper as Creative Director and Martine as Editorial Director.
In the early days, Martine received a surprise call from the American jet-setter Lee Radziwill, who was looking for a publisher to document her glamorous life. Following many subsequent meetings and the Assoulines sifting through a veritable treasure trove of documents and photographs, ‘Happy Times' was published in 2001 and became one of the company's most successful titles. “Instead of adapting books, we started creating books for people and also made a conscious decision to build a brand, not just make books,” says Assouline, who remains modest despite the company's success. “Our strength was our savoir-faire, as well as quality and content; we want to put context into our books to give pleasure as well as knowledge. Brands such as Dior and Chanel trusted us and also knew that we had a good reputation and the ability to distribute through the appropriate channels.”
Needless to say, Martine recommends a visit to one of the sumptuous Assouline stores. “Bookstores have changed over the years and the big chains have become common destinations. For us, because we pour so much passion into our publications, it made sense to renew the sophistication and culture of bookstores so we created our own,” she notes.“Bergdorf Goodman kindly gave us our first retail space and we could finally directly interact with our likeminded customers.”
Assouline currently has 23 stores in locations across the globe, from New York to Los Angeles, London, Paris, Istanbul, Lima and Seoul. “We want people to come to our boutiques because it is an experience. It's like welcoming someone to your home where you invite them to sit, discover, see and smell.”
The prestigious purveyor of books most recently added the HKSAR to its global retail map with a 27-square-metre retail space within The Peninsula Boutique & Café at The Peninsula Hong Kong, designed as a contemporary hub for the creative community, and a gift shop for hotel guests.
Although it feels like an integral part of the overall space, the Assouline boutique has its own distinctive red marble entrance and a striking gold mesh ceiling that adds textural interest to the green and coral interior, of The Peninsula Boutique and Café.
The store offers a curated selection of books and specialty objects, while highlighting two of its coveted title collections: Assouline's ‘Ultimate Collection', displayed against the brand's classic red wall, presenting titles such as ‘Versailles: From Louis XIV To Jeff Koons and Chinese Art: The Impossible Collection'. Tabled in the centre marble island of the store, is the ‘Classics Collection', which includes the brand's vibrant travel series of books such as: ‘Provence Glory', ‘Tuscany Marvel' and ‘Paris Chic'.
“For decades The Peninsula has inspired writers, artists and poets - Assouline perfectly reflects this creative legacy,” says Co-Founder Prosper Assouline. “We are proud to contribute to Hong Kong's culture with a highly curated bookstore that focuses on culture, and which is located within a new contemporary setting.”
Blending traditional furnishings with modern flair, all Assouline boutiques embody the spirit of an Art Deco culture lounge. In each location, the publishing house offers a diverse collection of titles as well as an array of rare and classic volumes and even unique objets d’art.
The boutiques also provide a variety of special services, including elegant gift wrapping with the company's signature red wax seal and handwritten dedication card, worldwide delivery, corporate gift services, book personalisation, and custom library design services.
In 2010, Prosper Assouline was knighted by the French Ministry of Culture and invited to join the prestigious Ordre des Arts et des Lettres. Acclaimed architect and artist Thierry Despont presided over the ceremony at Sotheby's New York, where he pronounced: “You did not ask for this honour; you deserve it, you do not refuse it, and Martine will wear it for you, for she also deserves it.”