Answers with the Coffee-Table Proper Assouline book publisher – Robb Report

Prosper Assouline is eager for a return to normalcy. Normality, that is to say of a very French and rarefied type, for the 64-year-old luxury book publisher embodies the brand that bears his name. Founded with his wife, Martine, in 1994, Assouline publishes volumes in the colors of jewels and bold pages that express the couple’s dedication to all that is unparalleled. Beginning with a tribute to their favorite hotel on the French Riviera, Assouline has since published over 2,000 monographs on topics such as Panama hats, Venetian synagogues and the official history of Formula 1, sprayed with perfume. of rubber. “What I love is making books lively and tactile,” says Prosper. He is enthusiastic about a recent two-kilo doorstop on Versailles, “a special edition with the seal of Louis XIV… huge, gold, the cover is velvet, it’s just incredible. When you buy the book, you can have a private tour with the curator and the president of Versailles. We have just made 100 copies.

If the breathtaking books remain the main activity, the Assoulines are also curators of private libraries and operate shops. Prosper, Martine and their son Alexandre, global vice-president of the company, divide their time between the Upper East Side of New York and the 1st arrondissement of Paris.

What’s the first thing you do in the morning?

I open my iPad to watch the news. Every morning I read Le Figaro, Les Echos, The New York Times and the Financial Time.

What are you doing in your life that is still analog?

It’s the only thing I do. I write a lot; I draw. Whenever I have an idea, I draw [it] immediately, so I always have pens with me. Digital is not very important to me.

What do you wear most often in your wardrobe?

White jeans by Incotex. I have a ton of them; it’s like the black dress. Hobbs cashmere t-shirts and Loro Piana shoes. It’s my daily life.

What song is in your head?

Philip Glass when I want to work calmly, and Lenny Kravitz when I need energy.

What is your exercise routine and how often do you do it?

A little bit of biking at home, some squash, and every time I’m in an elevator, [I] put your back to the wall very straight, as in the army. So I take the elevators as an exercise.

What’s the most recent thing you added to your collection?

I am a great collector of books. I just bought an extraordinary book from Christie’s in Paris. It was [one of] only six copies made by an artist in the 1960s. The cover is in plexiglass, with many different colors. This is the first book I have ever seen with a light; there is a battery inside.

What’s the most recent thing you wish you had bought?

I dream of buying a Harley Davidson motorcycle from 1947. I saw a nice and red one; it was amazing. People will think I’m completely crazy, but I want to have this in my office like a sculpture.

Other than books, what do you collect?

I have a large collection of weird old handmade musical instruments from the 18th and 19th centuries, some made by Shakers. They are all unique.

Where do you buy your clothes?

For 30 years, I bought tailor-made costumes at Caraceni in Milan. And now [I go to] a nice Italian in America, Denis frisian.

How do you fall asleep

Wine. Pomerol for French wine, Amarone for Italian and pisco sour for cocktails.

What do you regret the most?

That I no longer spent time with my brother, who died five years ago.

Do you like to drive or be driven?

When I am in Paris I have a nice Jaguar sports car and I love to drive. here [in New York], I take Uber. It is impossible to drive in this city.

Where are your usual tables in London, New York and LA?

Then, in London, I always dine in a club, 5 Hertford. In New York, it is only at He Buco. In Paris, I go to Friend Louis. I never go to LA.

Do you wear a watch? How many do you have?

For years my son stole my watches. Now he has his own watches; I took mine back. Right now on my hand I have an old Patek Philippe gold, which I adore. And on the weekends, I wear an old Tag Heuer.

How would others describe your look?

Amusing. I have a collection of handmade hats, maybe 50, in different colors. I love them. A funny little hat. Just a little hat that’s part of me.

What is your favorite hotel?

In Kyoto, there is a small hotel that I love called Tawaraya. It’s absolutely amazing, from the 19th century. The Surf Club in Miami, the Connaught in London and the Place in Paris.

Who do you admire the most?

I like artists who don’t compromise, like BrâncuÈ™i and Lucio Fontana. People who want to push the boundaries and create a new world, I really admire them.

If you could be anywhere in the world right now, where would you be?

I’ll tell you right away – at Fontelina Restaurant in Capri.

What is your most precious possession?

Family. I have a son. It’s so expensive, one is more than enough. I want to set up a rental company, where you can rent a child for the weekend if you need another just like you rent a car.

And what is your favorite neighborhood and your favorite city?

In Paris, we live in the garden of the Palais-Royal, and I love this area. I walk and do nothing else. It is absolutely perfect.

What are you afraid of?

Do not have wine at home. If you want to have dinner and have no wine and everything is closed, it’s a disaster.

What is your vice?

Details. Looking only at the details. It is my vice; it’s horrible. You show me something big, and I’ll only see one mistake.

David Bowie or Bob Dylan?

Then, no hesitation, Bowie. I would love to see a picture of the person who is going to say Dylan, seriously.