Their creative process is always instinctive. “We know when a subject is for us and when it is not,” she notes, and likens the creative process to making music. “I love to come up with the best way to create the book. It is during that very special moment when we find its ‘music’ or flow. I like to select the key images, or the musical notes so to speak, that will compose the book’s melody.”

The notes have since become a soundtrack to a kind of members-only lifestyle and the brand an empire encompassing books, boutiques and accessories, such as bookstands and book-ends, scented candles, trunks (a collaboration with Goyard) and even quilted leather slipcases (a collaboration with Chanel).

Looking Forward

The first Maison Assouline store opened in London in 2014 in a tony building on Piccadilly that had once been a bank and then an art gallery. Prosper, in an interview with the St Regis magazine, said that the building was “completely empty and it had no windows, but for me there was something magical about it. I had always dreamed of combining a café, a cocktail bar, a gallery and a bookstore.”

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Now, their 27-year-old son, Alexandre, is spearheading the expansion of that vision to decor and furniture. The furniture, he says, is intended to complement “our library curations”. The pieces being developed are predominantly designed by the family. “Each piece will be a part of the overall experience and feel that we create for our books and libraries, so that we continue to build our unique vision further.”

His older brother, Sébastien Ratto-Viviani, 44, is the director of Europe and new business at Assouline, while Alexandre is a vice president. The younger son, in fact, was born around the same time that Assouline was founded, and Prosper says that “it was almost natural that he would be involved. After having successfully graduated from his studies and performed roles at other companies, he ultimately was passionate to join the family brand.”

Bumps In The Road

The family has also come together during the coronavirus pandemic, and has remained together in Paris, working to adapt the business in order to survive. Martine credits Alexandre for anticipating a lockdown in the United States. “We had to act extremely fast with such measures, in order to maintain our company’s well-being for the long term,” she says. 

That included adapting its promotional efforts, especially with the travel bans in place. “For instance, we’ve been focusing on highlighting our destination category of books both on social and onsite,” Alexandre says. Moreover, he insists on “maintaining our commitment to being present for our clients and are always happy to engage with them much as possible."

The lockdown has not put a damper on Assouline’s Asian projects. Currently there is one branded Assouline location in Seoul, and another is planned for Tokyo later this year, as well as a warehouse in Singapore. The Assoulines are making these moves now in order to ensure the company remains a family-run business.

Alexandre feels that “because we share the same defined perspective as a family, which is essential, we would like to have the company remain in our hands”. Adds Prosper, “We do work very well together because we each have our own area of specialisation within the company.”

“Martine brings her editorial expertise, Prosper contributes both his artistic vision and keen eye,” Alexandre says, “while I incorporate my business background.”

One thing they try not to bring to the table, however, is, believe it or not, their work.

“We also like to keep a business and home life balance,” says Prosper, “by making an effort not to talk about work during lunch or dinner.”

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