April 14, 2011
Luxury Book Brand, Assouline, Opens Literary Lounge in London's Liberty
Robert Doyle READ TIME: 3 MIN.
London (April 2011) - ASSOULINE, the luxury brand renowned for collectible books on topics ranging from fashion and travel to epicurean arts and viticulture, opens on April 15, 2011 within the famed Liberty London featuring its first ever curated global Literary Lounge. The most recent ASSOULINE debut in London following the luxury publisher's boutiques in Paris, New York, Las Vegas, Costa Mesa, Mexico City and Istanbul will be its first groundbreaking venture in the UK.
The one-thousand square foot boutique at Liberty London will incorporate ASSOULINE's culture lounge aesthetic highlighted by the signature Mondrian "Wall of Books," Didot-lettered carpeting, a communal library table perfect for perusing custom and vintage titles, and an artistic collection of both custom furniture pieces and hand-selected antique finds. Unique from any other ASSOULINE boutique, the artisanal lounge features coffee, tea and beverages, homemade premium sodas made to order, and champagne service seven days a week during store hours.
ASSOULINE sets the standard of a contemporary library within Liberty London, offering over one-thousand of the brand's titles on subjects ranging from art, design, history, style, travel and culinary arts; the most extensive ASSOULINE collection available in the UK. In addition, visitors will find hand-selected vintage tomes to further enhance the creation of personal and unique collections. The boutique carries an extensive gift line which includes leather book bags, vintage bookends, stationery, library scented candles, and the limited special edition Goyard trunk that doubles as a chic library containing one-hundred titles. The boutique will see the European debut of the new exclusive candle collection, custom travel secretary, and Didot-lettered desk accessories.
On the selection of ASSOULINE for inclusion within Liberty London, Ed Burstell, Managing Director, says, "We're thrilled to be welcoming ASSOULINE to Liberty. It's a fantastic partnership, ASSOULINE as the world leader in publishing quality book titles and retailing collectible objects, and Liberty as the great heritage emporium in London. The exclusive library will offer a completely unique experience for our customers, they're sure to be stunned by the 'Wall of Books', and can enjoy a glass of champagne while perusing the limited edition titles."
The historic and much loved Liberty store first opened its doors in May 1875 solely selling hand-woven Mysore silk imported from India, which was dyed in England and then hand-printed with wooden blocks. These silks attracted the attention of artists and designers such as William Morris, Alma Tadema, Burne-Jones and Rossetti. Since then, Liberty Art Fabrics has been producing original fabric designs and has collaborated with a plethora of renowned designers and artists from across the globe including Hermes, Manolo Blahnik and Chanel.
The Liberty fabric archive now contains over forty-three-thousand prints with over a hundred new designs added each season. The Liberty mock Tudor flagship store on Great Marlborough Street has been an iconic London landmark. The store underwent a Renaissance in 2009 where it was flooded with natural night, a wealth of new international brands introduced and the Liberty print collection embraced fully.
Prosper Assouline, the co-creator of the brand, comments, "Having a tea, a coffee, or a glass of champagne is one of the most luxurious moments you can have in a library. Opening with Liberty offered us the possibility of an expanded Assouline concept-replete with French champagne, Italian or Turkish coffee, and Moroccan, English, or Japanese tea-which links our international heritage to our exclusive clientele."
ASSOULINE provides a variety of special services including elegant gift wrapping, worldwide delivery, same-day courier service within London, and a library design studio where ASSOULINE professionals will curate a personalized home library in the authentic, immediately identifiable aesthetic referred to by Prosper Assouline as "the next step in modern luxury beyond a home theatre."
Renowned for their highly original graphic concept, ASSOULINE books and luxury gift items are works of art that capture culture and bring it to life. The spirit and savoir-faire of the company have contributed to the creation of a unique and eclectic, chic and elegant brand that is immediately identifiable. ASSOULINE has published over one-thousand titles across international markets on subjects including fashion, art, architecture & design, gastronomy, photography, travel, and viticulture.
ASSOULINE books have been translated into more than ten languages and are distributed in the most exclusive retail destinations worldwide, including Saks Fifth Avenue, Bergdorf Goodman, Sotheby's, and Harvey Nichols, Dubai. ASSOULINE Boutique locations include Paris, ASSOULINE at The Plaza Hotel in New York City, ASSOULINE at Crystals at CityCenter in Las Vegas, ASSOULINE Books, Gifts & Gallery at South Coast Plaza, and most recently, ASSOULINE Istanbul.
The grand opening of ASSOULINE at Liberty London with ASSOULINE's esteemed authors will be announced shortly.
Opening hours of ASSOULINE at Liberty London:
Monday - Saturday 10:00am to 9:00pm
Sunday 12:00pm to 6:00pm
ASSOULINE at Liberty London
Regent Street
London W1B 5AH
ASSOULINE's phone: +44 (0) 207 573 9680
LINKS:
www.shopassouline.com
Long-term New Yorkers, Mark and Robert have also lived in San Francisco, Boston, Provincetown, D.C., Miami Beach and the south of France. The recipient of fellowships at MacDowell, Yaddo, and Blue Mountain Center, Mark is a PhD in American history and literature, as well as the author of the novels Wolfchild and My Hawaiian Penthouse. Robert is the producer of the documentary We Are All Children of God. Their work has appeared in numerous publications, as well as at : www.mrny.com.
