Q&A with twinkly-eyed publisher Prosper Assouline

At a time when publishing houses are struggling to survive, the always-charming Prosper Assouline—in tandem with Martine, his wife of more than two decades—has been dreaming up ways to expand his thriving business. Focusing on super high quality, lavish coffee table books—think collectible objets d’art, a world apart from your run-of-the-mill paperback—Assouline has carved out a unique and highly successful niche that proves print is, in fact, very much alive.

For years now, Assouline boutiques around the world have offered lovely small gifts and stationery sets, but more recently the brand has taken on a whole, new scale: furniture and bespoke interiors. The first commission to design a private library came to Prosper quite organically; and then came another, and another. Prosper is now busy planning a complete, high-end collection of library furnishings; a new frontier outpost to his kingdom of luxury-culture.

In a recent conversation, I decided to ask this champion of the well-lived life a few questions about how he approaches his work.  Through his joyful manner and signature sense of humor, Prosper made it clear that, for him, business and pleasure go hand in hand.

 

Prosper Assouline © Assouline
Ambra Medda: What are the magic ingredients that transform an object into a collectible?

Prosper Assouline: For me it is all about the uniqueness in the details—especially the tactile quality, and sometimes even the smell. I want to touch these things with my hands and revel in all of my senses. This is my goal with all of my books.

AM: It’s true that your books are very special objects, exquisite beyond the content inside. What’s your approach?

PA: We design our books to be beautiful even when they are closed—because, you know, books are closed most of the time. We explore a variety of subjects, but each book is our own idea and exhibits our own taste and style. Our approach is always very artisanal, and the product is always very detailed. I’m very proud of a new, special edition title we are working on now, Venice Synagogues—set to come out this fall—which will have a beautiful, hand-embroidered clamshell box that references the motifs inside the sacred architecture.

AM: How would you define taste?

PA: Today it is difficult to say, because bad taste can be good taste. For me it’s a question of style and proportion. If you put too much salt on your food, you destroy all of the work you did. But, of course, you need some salt.

AM: How do you choose the subjects of your books?

PA: In bed with my wife.

AM: [Laughing.] What’s next for the brand? I understand you’re working on private libraries.

PA: Oh, yes. It’s very exciting. We have a full staff working on this. The idea is not so much to go into the furniture business, but rather to complete the story—complete the atmosphere—that surrounds our books. When you read a book you want to dream and escape and fall into another world, so we will create the mise-en-scène with a series of collections, including chairs, lights, rugs, coffee tables, shelves, and so on. Each collection will carry the name of a book. The quality will be selective; everything quite exclusive. I expect nothing short of perfection.

• Interview by

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    Ambra Medda

    Ambra is a passionate, seasoned curator, who facilitates great design through innovative collaborations between designers, artists, brands, and institutions. Among many other things.