Sasha Velour

Alexander "Sasha" Hedges Steinberg, known professionally as Sasha Velour, is an American drag artist, actress, writer, and stage and television producer based in Brooklyn, New York. She gained broad recognition after winning the ninth season of the reality competition show RuPaul's Drag Race. Steinberg is also widely recognized for creating the drag showcase NightGowns and the solo stage production Smoke & Mirrors.

Born in Berkeley, California, Steinberg grew up in New Haven, Connecticut, before moving to Urbana, Illinois. Her parents worked as a university Russian history professor and a press editor, respectively. After finishing high school in 2004, she lived abroad, working as a part-time security guard at the Hermitage Museum in St. Petersburg and interning at the Berlin State Opera. She earned a bachelor's degree from Vassar College in 2009, conducted research in Moscow as a Fulbright Scholar in 2010, and received a Master of Fine Arts in cartooning from the Center for Cartoon Studies in 2013. Prior to pursuing drag full time, she worked as a freelance illustrator, English tutor, and publishing head of production.

Steinberg relocated to New York in 2013 with her partner, John Jacob Lee (Johnny Velour). Having started drag while studying in Vermont, where she co-created the musical Whatever She Wants, she began performing in New York City in early 2014. That summer, she and her partner launched Velour, The Drag Magazine, which ran for three issues and was later published as a book. In August 2015, she initiated NightGowns, a monthly Brooklyn-based drag show. As a visual artist, Steinberg created various comics, including Stonewall, held solo gallery exhibitions in 2014 and 2016, and provided the cover illustration for a 2023 issue of The New Yorker.

After winning season nine of RuPaul's Drag Race in 2017, Steinberg established The House of Velour, a production company for her stage, film, and commercial ventures. That same year, she was commissioned by Google to design a homepage Doodle honoring Marlene Dietrich. In 2018, she directed an all-LGBTQ+ presentation for New York Fashion Week alongside Opening Ceremony. During the COVID-19 pandemic, she created Faces of Drag, a 2021 artwork series featuring ten papier-mâché masks that honored influential historical figures in drag history.

Steinberg premiered her solo theatrical performance, Smoke & Mirrors, in 2019, eventually touring the production across Australia, New Zealand, the United States, Canada, and Europe. In 2020, her live showcase was transformed into an eight-episode docuseries titled NightGowns, which earned a RealScreen Award in 2021. Her other screen work includes guest roles on The Bold Type and Broad City, starring in the short art-opera film The Island We Made, and joining the fourth season of the reality series We're Here as a host.

In 2023, Steinberg published the book The Big Reveal: An Illustrated Manifesto of Drag, which she subsequently adapted for stage performances across North America and Europe. Her theatrical show Travesty is set to premiere in Washington, D.C., in March 2026, ahead of an extensive European tour. Offstage, Steinberg resides in Brooklyn with her partner and identifies as genderfluid. She frequently performs with a shaved head in memory of her mother, who passed away from cancer in 2015.