Born and raised in Miami Beach Florida, Derrick is the product of an unusual mix of Hungarian and Filipino heritage. He began working at the age of thirteen as a commercial fisherman, going out onto the seas at dawn. Three years later he transitioned into managing a vintage clothing store where he mingled with the Beatniks, club promoters and dancers of Miami.
When corporate developers began taking over Miami, he left for the sun of a tiny apartment in Brooklyn that was dirty, dangerous and loud.
“I couldnt have been happier”.
In New York, he modeled part-time for Boss and Dolce & Gabbana while working his way up in the world of retail, often putting in twelve-hour days. At twenty-three, Derrick became the youngest executive at Macy’s,Herald Square.
Derrick’s love affair with Italy began at fourteen, when he visited with his choir group, sang for Hilary Clinton at the 1994 Summit of the Americas and vowed to one day return.
In 2003 he took a risky step. Without any job prospects, he put on a suit and hit the cobblestones.
For almost 15 years Derrick was Visual Merchandiser for Burberry throughout Europe, Middle East, India and Africa. He has been featured as a guest lecturer at Saint John’s University, revealing the importance of attention to detail in everything from career to luxury interior store design and life.
Today Derrick continues to collaborate with an international client base, offering the opportunity to achieve the desired results through his creative approach, at Derrick Jones Studio.
He is still based in Rome and takes inspiration from it every day.
