A Jacket Well Worn: John Derian

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A Jacket Well Worn: John Derian

The second chapter of our collaborative journey with decoupage artist John Derian.

To celebrate the launch of the second iteration of our collaboration with John Derian Company, we interviewed the man himself.

John Derian is the founder of the John Derian Company, established in 1989. Working from his New York City studio, John creates handcrafted decoupage alongside a small team of artisans, drawing on antique and vintage imagery. His work is collected and sold worldwide, celebrated for its timeless artistry and poetic detail.

Drawn to decoupage - the art of cutting and sticking paper - from his early obsession with printed matter, the effect has been recreated through embroidery on a selection of favourite Lavenham pieces, all made and finished in the Lavenham factory in Suffolk, England.

What first drew you to decoupage, and how has your style evolved since you began working with this medium?

I accidentally started to collect ephemera. I made some collages. I covered some paper boxes and then I just started doing decoupage in the late 1980s.

Can you walk us through your creative process—from choosing images and materials to finishing a piece?

I always have my eye out for antique and vintage paper goods. Usually what I think is beautiful about the image or funny about the image is what I focus on and then decide how best to share that beauty.

How would you describe your artistic style, and what themes or moods tend to appear most often in your work?

Most of the imagery I use is 18th and 19th century from books, so most of my work has an antique feel to it.

Lavenham is known for its heritage, craftsmanship, and timeless design—how do those values connect with your own approach to style and making?

I’ve been making things since I was a child and I’m drawn to handmade authentic things from original creative people. So, working together has been a treat.

Given Lavenham’s equestrian heritage, and with it being the Year of the Horse, we see horses appearing frequently in your work—what draws you to them as a subject, and what do they represent within your visual language?

They’re beautiful creatures that are hard not to admire. We were talking about the year of the horse and all the horse things I seem to have surrounding me, so I guess I have a thing for horses, but I didn’t really realize it.

John Derian Apple Tie Up Gilet

$325.00 USD

John Derian Bird Thornham

$325.00 USD

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