Desi Santiago is a Puerto Rican creative director and visual artist based in New York City, known for merging art and fashion with a bold, avant-garde aesthetic. A key figure in NYC’s underground nightlife, his work draws from science fiction and counter-culture influences.
As a set designer, Santiago has created environments for fashion shows, editorials, and film, collaborating with brands like Carolina Herrera, Loewe, and Y-3. His editorial credits include work with David Sims for Love and Riccardo Tisci for Visionaire. In film, he designed the production for Bruce LaBruce’s The Misandrists (2017).
Santiago is also recognized for his cutting-edge costume design, including masks for the Met’s McQueen: Savage Beauty exhibition and the Louis Vuitton Marc Jacobs retrospective. As an artist, he has exhibited at MoMA PS1, Art Basel Miami, and internationally.