John Derian

Derian grew up in Watertown, Massachusetts. He was the youngest of six children. His mother was from Scotland and his father was an Armenian from Turkey.^[11]

Derian attended the Massachusetts College of Art and Design.^[11] 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.^[12] He moved to New York City in 1992.^[11]

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.^[13] He opened his first shop in 1995.^[11]

He sells his designs to 300 stores, including Bergdorf Goodman.^[13]

Derian's partner is photographer Stephen Kent Johnson.^[14][15] The couple lives in New York City's East Village and Provincetown, Massachusetts.^[2][11][16]