Desierto comes from a self-described "immigrant family" and characterized his upbringing as traditional.
[2] At age 21, Desierto started an eyewear line called Derek Cardigan.
[3][4] Juno Valentine and the Magical Shoes was released in November 2018, marking his first illustrator credit.
[3][7] Later that year, Desierto illustrated Chen's Juno Valentine and the Fantastic Fashion Adventure.
[9][10] Three years later, he published the follow-up book Oddbird's Chosen Family.