Corner of the Assouline publishing house in the Domio Home Interiors showroom. Photo: Domio Home Interiors
"Another dream of ours has come true: we are opening the first Assouline corner in Ukraine," said Yulia Danilova-Meretskaya, co-founder of Domio Group, director of SBID Ukraine. - We have long dreamed of a beautiful library, of books that delight, give the feeling of a holiday, that simply take us far away. Of course, Assouline is exactly such books. We are very proud of this collaboration and want this corner to become a place of attraction, a place of inspiration."
Yulia Danilova-Meretskaya and Alex Assulin. Photo: Domio Home Interiors
Assouline Publishing was founded in 1994 in Paris by Prosper and Martina Assouline and initially focused on publishing books that would be a luxury item at the same time. The first series of Assouline was devoted to biographies of famous personalities or stories of brands from the field of fashion, design and art. In 2007, the publishing house moved with its founders to New York, where the main office is now located. Assouline Publishing is a family business: the post of vice president is held by Alex Assouline, son of Prosper and Martyna. It was he who represented the publishing house at the opening of the first corner in Ukraine. PRAGMATIKA.MEDIA talked to him about Assouline production and books as interior items.
Alex Assulin. Photo: Domio Home Interiors
PRAGMATIKA.MEDIA: The first question may seem a little obvious. How does your publishing house differ from others?
Alex Assulin: We understood that we wanted to create beautiful books, home decor items, beautiful objects that would have interesting content on the topic of lifestyle or culture. And we understood that we are talking about real coffee table books. There were already several well-known players in this segment. And we had to try to find and occupy that niche in which we can be good. In this industry, there was just a free niche - these are special publications about culture. What makes us different? Because we make our books a manifesto of luxury. We choose the author, who would understand the topic best, we find the best photographer, whose works will provide a beautiful layout. We are in the premium segment of the book industry. The Assouline book is an ideal gift, because we have an option for everyone.
Photo: Domio Home Interiors
PM: As you said, Assouline books are part home decor. So, what is the relationship between the interior and your publications? If, conditionally, I want to choose a book for my home, should I pay attention to the cover or still to the content?
A. A .: As for the relationship between books and the interior, I can say the following: our books are the final touch. When you have already finished the decoration, there are all the sofas, carpets and everything else, then the final touch for your home is books that tie the whole ensemble together. It turns out that a book is a cultural accessory in home decor. How do you choose? It already depends on you. By color or by theme - as you prefer. If you want it to be interesting to you, add an intellectual and emotional aspect, then you need to pay attention to the subject. If you want to put this book in such a way that no one touches it, but it simply shows off on the shelf, for example, then choose by color.
Alex Assulin. Photo: Domio Home Interiors
PM: But which part of your books do you consider more important – its design, cover or content?
A. A .: Cover. (laughing) It's no secret that a book is judged first by its cover. We pay a lot of attention to the covers, so that they are of high quality, with a beautiful design and really explain what the book is about. The cover is not only a picture, it is also a font design and texture: wood, silk, rubber. The cover is very important in this statement of luxury. But, of course, the content is hidden under the cover. We do everything so that it does not disappoint, so that it complements the cover. It is not for nothing that work on the text usually takes an hour.
PM: Do you choose the materials for each book individually?
A. A .: Yes. Of course, there are different collections, but we always try to surprise.
Photo: Domio Home Interiors
PM: Can you tell us about the books presented here in the Ukrainian corner?
A. A .: Oh, this is a very new market for us. And we are very excited that we are going to work here. We think this salon is an ideal place to present our brand. And Yulia Danilova is phenomenal. We start with travel books to give the audience a little insight into what we do and what topics we cover. This is Ibiza Bohemia, Mykonos Muse, Comporta Bliss, Palm Beach. In addition, we presented our Ultimate collection - these are huge books in cases, always made of different materials. They are made in Italy, woven, glued - all by hand.
PM: Are all your books produced in Italy?
A. A .: There are several places: Italy, Canada, Asia. But now we are trying to concentrate all production in Italy.
PM: How do you see your Ukrainian audience? Who are these people?
A. A .: I'm here to find out. But I see them as interior design enthusiasts. These are people who want to create a new design for their home, and then complete it with the final touch - our book. And that's why this place (Domio salon, - ed.) is perfect for our books. Here you have the opportunity to find yourself a wonderful sofa, table and, finally, suitable editions that will complement your apartment.
Salon Poliform. Photo: Domio Home Interiors
PM: What book or books would you recommend to the Ukrainian public? Perhaps your favorite from the Assouline collection.
A. A .: One of my favorite books is the Impossible Collection of Wine, which is also completely handmade and is dedicated to a thousand of the best wines of the XNUMXth century. It is composed by the best sommelier of the world, Enrico Bernardo. We found the labels of the wines he included in the book, printed them on cardboard paper and made this beautiful edition that comes in a wooden case. This book is a big success, which I am very happy about. I also like Italian Chic. I always had a special love for Italy when I went there when I was younger. Then I lived there for a while, studying publishing. This book shows the lifestyle of Italians. Just holding this book in your hands, you will feel as if you are traveling around this country. And now, living in New York, it's nice to have such a memory of Europe.
PM: Three top books for interior designers.
A. A .: The first is Maximalism, the author of which was the interior designer Sig Bergamin. The second is the Big Book of Chic, which we did with another interior designer, Miles Redd. Excellent cover with a bright font. And, probably, the third is Ibiza. Everyone likes this book because it is very romantic with a very strong cover.
PM: In our era of digitization and e-books, do you believe that the future of the industry lies in books like Assouline?
A. A .: Yes, if we are talking about the paper book industry, then definitely. It breaks my heart, but it's true. I tried e-books, I liked them for a while, but then I lost interest and went back to reading paper books. However, the new generation has already grown up on everything electronic. Therefore, I think that in 10-15 years paper books will disappear. And in order to prolong their life, we need to make books that will be design objects at the same time.
Veronika Selega, Alex Assulin. Photo: Domio Home Interiors
PM: How do you see the development of your company against the background of these changes in the industry?
A. A .: We are engaged in the premium segment and plan to stay there for the time being. Although, it is not excluded that sometime in the future we will slightly change our policy. At the same time, we also want to bring more digital content - but as an addition to our paper books. That is, not to enter the electronic sphere, but to add it to our books as an integral part of them.
Photo: Domio Home Interiors
PM: In general, the creation of a book is a collaborative process in which the author, editor, photographer, designer, etc. participate. What is the recipe for a good collaboration?
A. A .: A good project manager! Managing the project is very difficult, because all the authors are different from each other. Some are very demanding, others are simpler, but you need to find your own approach to each. In each project, we have one editor, who acts as a project manager and manages the entire team. If he is organized, can correctly set the task and set deadlines, then everything works out. Of course, the skills of each team member are important. For example, if the photographer does not follow the instructions or, on the contrary, can only blindly obey them, but does not bring his magic, then nothing good will come out. But everything is different in every project, you can never predict what might happen.
