John Derian is an American designer and antiques dealer.
Early life and education
Derian grew up in
Watertown, Massachusetts
Watertown is a city in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, and is part of Greater Boston. The population was 35,329 in the 2020 census. Its neighborhoods include Bemis, Coolidge Square, East Watertown, Watertown Square, and the West End.
Watertow ...
. He was the youngest of six children. His mother was from Scotland and his father was an Armenian from Turkey.
Derian attended the
Massachusetts College of Art and Design
Massachusetts College of Art and Design, branded as MassArt, is a public college of visual and applied art in Boston, Massachusetts. Founded in 1873, it is one of the nation’s oldest art schools, the only publicly funded independent art schoo ...
.
He often skipped class during his second semester in order to visit flea markets. He left school soon after. He worked odd jobs in Boston and lived in an apartment with roommates on Harvard Street in
Cambridge, Massachusetts
Cambridge ( ) is a city in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States. As part of the Greater Boston, Boston metropolitan area, the cities population of the 2020 United States Census, 2020 U.S. census was 118,403, making it the fourth most ...
.
He moved to New York City in 1992.
Career
In 1994, Derian rented a storefront on East Second Street to use as a studio for his decoupage work. He soon realized that he could make the rent money by selling objects he created.
He opened his first shop in 1995.
He sells his designs to 300 stores, including Bergdorf Goodman.
References
{{reflist
External linksOfficial website
Living people
American antiques dealers