The story of Fulco di Verdura and his jewelry reads like a movie: childhood idylls that influenced adult creativity, family conflicts that forced innovation and invention, chance meetings that opened crucial doors, supreme talent that endeared him to the glamorous, the rich and the famous. When he died, the Duke di Verdura left in his archive 10,000 drawings and paintings of designs upon which, today, all new pieces emanating from the workshops are based.
Of particular interest were Verdura’s 1950’s pieces inspired by nature — perhaps the nature which he had so loved as a child in his Grandmother’s lovely country house in Sicily. A seahorse, flower, stag, conjured from an irregular pearl or a remarkable stone are pure Verdura. So is his “curbed link” which has been copied furiously but never seems to have the proportion, the heft or weight, the soul of the original.
And then there are the pieces with humor. The globe, for example, gold continents wrapping an enameled sphere, which can be studded with a diamond – or more than one – to mark the spot, the country, that you fell in love with on that trip. Or that you hold dear as your honeymoon idyll. Worn as a pendant, used as cufflinks, dangling as a charm on a lovely link bracelet.
What a charming idea.
John Derian is a treasure. It's not that there aren't many with talent and vision because there are, the world over. But Derian has other attributes that make him so beloved. His eye is unerring, his sense of scale is perfect, he layers cultures and eras seamlessly in a room. And he is accessible in brick and mortar. His two shops on East Second Street have been haunts for years. One carries the decoupage he designs and constructs locally (and that make the best gifts ever) along with the coveted ceramics of Astier de Villatte. The second Dry Goods store next door showcases quirky antiques, an assortment of vintage furniture, stacks of heavy french linen, Moroccan rugs and soft cotton Indian clothing. Both are small, but intriguing and interesting enough to seduce you on a journey of the senses.
And now, Derian has opened on Christopher Street in a double-windowed storefront of a two-story 18th century house. It's like walking in to another world. Traditional Astier, and the later Derian/Astier collaborative pieces, line the walls from roof to floor of the front room. The back room, wallpapered in his new cabbage rose design and lit by beautiful Balthus-designed standing lamps with parchment shades, offers a living room in which to settle in, thumb through books and albums, and rest the soul.
So, go to shop, or simply go to travel in spirit to another place and time.
https://www.johnderian.com/pages/our-locations"
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