Books are the soul of every living space. They are indicators of the dweller’s interests, hobbies, passions, and aspirations. Even in an era when both inspiration and information are a Google search away, nothing can quite compares to the joy of curling up in a quiet corner and flipping through actual pages of a book. And no matter how digitalized or augmented our realities may be, retreating into a library filled with beautiful books will remain the best escape within one’s home.
For enthusiasts of design, travel, art, food, and luxury living, Assouline is the authority. It is an insider brand, understood and appreciated among those who belong to the discerning set. Founded in 1995 by Prosper and Martine Assouline, they innovated the coffee table book category with editions solely dedicated to the fine life. The founders write: “We started working with top perfumers for scented candles, with Goyard for a book trunk, with Chanel on a quilted leather slipcase, and so on.” The vision, since day one, has been to create books that would complete a well curated library. Today, well appointed homes of the eternally well-dressed, are likely to have an expansive collection of Assouline books in their homes or offices.
Meet Alex Assouline: Assouline’s New Chief Operating Officer for Operations, Brand, and Strategy.
Throughout the 26-year journey of the “first luxury brand on culture,” it was the founders’ son, Alex, who witnessed how Assouline has grown, evolved and expanded. He begins, “I have always been involved in some type of way. When I was six years old, my parents published a book about my drawings.” Before Alex had even reached his teens, he was continuing inventory at the company’s stockroom, working his way towards an internship just before university.
Graphic design has always been a passion of Alex which he soon utilized to take the company into the future. Alex recalls, “In 2014, I was sent to London on a mission to open our flagship. Later, I took the helm of the digital department and created the marketing department.” He was tasked to oversee sales and distribution in 2018 before leading operations, brand and strategy. “This year, I am focusing on the future and the next steps for our brand.”
Books In The Digital Age.
The digital age has been largely regarded as a threat to the print industry. But for companies that have learned to adapt and innovate, this new medium brings with it boundless possibilities. Alex ponders: “When I was growing up, computers were not so widely used. Today you can see a toddler playing with an iPad in a restaurant! Attention spans are shorter, and information is absorbed via images. With this in mind, I believe our books, which are very graphic and serve a double purpose as luxury home decor pieces and highly curated content pieces, are and will be relevant for future generations.”
He discloses that digital books are not part of Assouline’s future plans. Digital content, however, will definitely be explored as possible tools for enhancing the reading experience. “They will be added in order for users to experience our books in a new and unique way,” says the COO who adds, “The metaverse, and web3 in general, is something I am (also) studying, and definitely interested in as it is important for brand storytelling to educate and engage new generations of customers.”
Creating The Assouline Lifestyle.
Distribution is also one aspect of the business that Alex feels will help reinforce Assouline’s dominance in luxury publishing. “Our distribution will be refined to focus on branded corners, which are the best way to showcase our identity,” he shares. To date, the company has branded corners all over France, US, Spain, Monaco, South Africa, Ukraine, Greece and Bolivia. Assouline has also recently unveiled its corner in luxury multi brand hub, Univers in Manila.
Further expansion in the Middle East and Asia are in the pipeline as are new product offerings that include: stationery, notebooks, bookstands, clothing and accessories. Alex says, “I love to play around with new mediums as well, such as clothing like the Zara collection we designed last year based on our travel series, or furniture - I’m always open to new projects.”
Inside Alex’s Personal Library.
A personal project of Alex, which had very recently reached completion, is his newly renovated New York apartment. As can be expected of the Assouline COO, it features a remarkable library filled with collector’s items and special editions. He advises, “Always start by acquiring books about your passions because a good library is one that you can identify with, one that reflects yourself. Do not overload it, give the books some space. Alternate with novels, and statement objects (I personally like Bauhaus vases, candles, and bookends). My secret touch is to put a collection of beautiful leather-bound law books or encyclopedias around the top, which gives the library or bookshelf a lot of character.”
Alex Recommends Adding These Books To Your Library
Formula 1 The Impossible Collection
