Assouline began with an idea and a belief: the first, a notion that beauty, perfected, has meaning that is capable of transforming our lives; and the second, that a book—artfully crafted and highly considered in its visual content—can open our eyes and minds. With our first book, La Colombe d’Or, we sought to convey the experience of a small hotel in the south of France, a tiny, sublime world of art, history, luxury, and inspiration unto itself. Over time, that world has been expanded to create a universe that is anchored by our books but no longer limited to paper and pages.

Whereas other firms present themselves as curators of culture, Assouline seeks to be an engine of culture. We conceive of the company as a platform by which to disseminate the best thoughts and visions of the greatest creative minds, and our collaborators include the world’s foremost artists, photographers, writers, architects, fashion and interior designers, and culinary masters. Capitalizing on the incomparable network of founders Prosper and Martine Assouline, we activate our talent, production, and distribution to develop a custom-tailored solution unique to every project, whether books, furniture, leather goods, candles, gifts, or retail partnerships with other major luxury brands.

We have always heeded the French expression savoir vivre, which translates roughly as knowing how to live. This means being guided by a clear value set that privilege our passions. It means we put our resources and our time into things that matter: knowledge, relationships, and experiences; into history, culture, and travel. It means we favor things that are rare and precious not for their price tag, but because they enrich our lives. We are visual beings before we are verbal ones, and in every aspect of its presentation, products, and services, Assouline seeks to communicate the maximum content and value. Our ethic is aesthetic.