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MILAN — Alexandre Assouline, who grew up around awe-inspiring pages of travel, design and fashion, insists that the library is an essential part of the home. The 32-year-old president of the book publisher and luxury lifestyle company founded by his parents Prosper and Martine Assouline, told WWD he has more than 1,000 books in his personal library in the New York City home he shares with his wife and child.
Three years ago, he began working on a collection of objects envisaged to enhance that space and to be sold alongside Assouline’s assortment of books that range from lifestyle design to fashion.
On Monday, Assouline will launch The Library Collection, which includes “The Essentials” — 11 library accessories made from premium materials like walnut wood, pebbled leather and brass, designed in collaboration with French designer Pierre Favresse, and influenced by the Assouline family’s most cherished items and cultural roots. The assortment includes an hourglass, magnifying glass, trinket boxes, backgammon set, bookends and more.
In addition, the sensory experience will be enhanced by an assortment of five home fragrances that conjure the authentic scents of a library such as luxurious wood, leather-bound books, lush pages and smoky tobacco. Monday’s launch will kick off a series of pop-up retail events in partnership with retailers ranging from Harrods in London, Bergdorf Goodman in New York City, Neiman Marcus in Dallas, Bloomingdale’s Dubai, and Geary’s in Beverly Hills. The collection also will be sold throughout Assouline’s network of 15 stores and online.
The Library Collection
Laziz Hamani
“This is a whole new avenue for the brand. It’s not just a product that we’re launching, it’s another pillar of our business,” Assouline said, adding that he’s already working on the next collection. “The aim as a brand is to own the library space. We identified that we’re more than just a publishing house at this point. We want to give clients the option to elevate their personal libraries as well because a library is not just composed of books.”
Assouline said his favorite piece within the collection is the Y-shaped Collector’s Bookstand fashioned with a brass base, elongated walnut wood and pebbled leather. “It raises the book. And that makes it very important as well, because you can flip through the pages,” he said, adding it took a while to find the ideal angle to view the book. The result is that it’s a fitting enhancement for both the bookcase or coffee table. The handcrafted products were made by artisans in India who share the same “family values” as the Assouline family, he stressed.
Collector’s Bookends from Assouline’s The Library Collection
Laziz Hamani
Since joining the company as director of marketing and digital operations in 2016, he has helped to modernize the brand. In 2018, he was named global vice president and three years later became chief of operations, brand and strategy and helped prioritize its positioning as a luxury lifestyle brand.
The company was founded in 1994 and the business remains family-owned and operated, though LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton has a minority stake and serves as adviser. Assouline is known for its well-designed, oversize coffee table books on fashion, art, architecture, photography, sports and travel.
Scents from The Library Collection by Assouline
Laziz Hamani
Martine, Alexandre and Prosper Assouline.
Jean Picon/Saywho/Courtesy of Assouline
In an interview in June, Assouline told WWD, “We’re not a publisher. We’re a luxury brand.”
Last year, the company celebrated its 30th anniversary and marked the moment with new product development, retail expansion with freestanding boutiques and “corners” inside department stores.
The ongoing commitment to publishing books remains the brand’s focus, Assouline said. After the COVID-19 pandemic, the travel and hospitality category began to supersede that of fashion and is now number one, followed by lifestyle design and then by fashion and art.
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