Page 18 - Raffles09_March2022

16 RAFFLES MAGAZINE
− INSPIRATION −
MARTINE ASSOULINE
The printed word
Stepping into Assouline’s flagship concept store along London’s bustling Piccadilly Circus is an evocative experience. From the earthy smell of leather-bound pages
to whispers softly reverberating between wood-panelled walls, Maison Assouline is a particularly luxurious type of hideaway for lovers of beautiful books. For founders Martine and Prosper Assouline, the space was designed to transport visitors into their own literary sphere. “We tend to recreate our world everywhere we go,” they explain. “It is through this recreation, that we invite others to be curious about the incredible beauty of objects, images and words.”
“It’s not so much ‘where’ we find ourselves most inspired, but more so ‘when”
The couple’s eponymously named publishing business first came into being in the early 90s, giving a new lease of life to the illustrated book market through a creative amalgamation of culture, luxury and heritage. Today, Assouline continues to prove how precious the printed word – and image – truly is. “It’s not so much ‘where’ we find ourselves most inspired, but more so ‘when’,” says Martine who considers early morning as the time she’s most inclined to let her mind wander. “Both of us are also very curious and find that we need inspiration to breathe.”
The second Maison Assouline concept store is similarly nestled in a hive of activity: the luxurious Dubai Mall. “We adore welcoming people into a warm, comfortable and meaningful place where they escape from what sometimes can be such a chaotic outside world,” say Prosper and Martine. Among the eclectic interiors and stories from across the worlds of fashion, design and theatre, visiting Maison Assouline store is a moment to be savoured, meaning you will leave with renewed inspiration. ———
assouline.com
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