On the second floor of Christie’s, seemingly far away from the bustling hoards of holiday travelers on 5th Avenue, friends, family, and colleagues gathered to see Martine Assouline be presented with the honorary medal last week. The National Order of the Legion of Honour is the highest French order for merit under the motto "Honour and Fatherland,” and it has been retained by the government since the time of Napoleon. There are five degrees of distinction, and Martine was given the medal for Chevalier (Knight).
Mingling in the crowd ahead of the ceremony were French actor Jean Reno and Bergdorf Goodman fashion executive Linda Fargo. Other prominent guests included the Consul General of France Cédrik Fouriscot, Ladurée President Elisabeth Holder Raberin and her husband Pierre, and legendary stylist and art director Carlyne Cerf de Dudzeele.
Christy Ferer, a renowned public servant, entrepreneur, and journalist, as well as an Officier de la Légion d’honneur, was in attendance to present the award. “It’s been almost half a century since my life became entwined with the Assoulines. I’m going to cry,” she said. She spoke of first meeting Martine all that time ago, likening her during her speech to a graceful gazelle, a femme fatale, tough and brilliant like a diamond, someone with “ink in her blood,” and a dream machine. “[Prosper and Martine] have created a global library and a way of looking at the world through books—creating some of the most iconic and visually rich images” she went on to say. “They’ve been called the Gainsbourg and Birkin of luxury publishing. But I like to call them, like Brangelina, let’s just call them Prospine!” This was met with a great deal of laughter around the room. Ferer closed out her remarks by calling to attention the thousands of dollars Martine has collected for the non-for-profit Paris Brain Institute America.