By Kirsten Coachman
“I’ve been wanting to do this; now this is my time.”
Veejay Floresca’s reaction to being announced the winner of “Project Runway” season 21 was both emotional and momentous, as she became the first-ever Filipina and trans woman to take the crown on the Emmy Award-winning reality competition.
“It’s been a few weeks since the airing of the last episode, and I am really honored to win the competition,” said Floresca, who spoke with Art U News by phone in October. “I’m a super fan [laughs], obviously. Being in Academy of Art University, I’ve been auditioning so many times, I feel really overwhelmed and happy to win the competition.”
Season 21 of “Project Runway” marked the return of host and head judge Heidi Klum, who previously departed the show following season 16 in 2017. Joining Klum on the judging panel this past season were ELLE Editor-in-Chief Nina Garcia and celebrity stylist Law Roach. The season’s mentor was celebrated designer Christian Siriano, who won season four of “Project Runway” in 2008.
As part of her season 21 win, Floresca received $200,000, a spread in ELLE magazine, and a mentorship with the CFDA.
Previous Academy alums to appear on “Project Runway” include season 16 finalist Brandon Kee and Anna Yinan Zhao, who competed on seasons 19 and 20.
Early influences
Floresca’s interest in fashion began while growing up in the Philippines with a certain pop culture icon: Barbie.
“I grew up with two sisters, and being the only biological male [child] in the family, a lot of people would always gift me trucks, Legos, that kind of stuff,” said Floresca. “My two sisters would always receive Barbie dolls.”
The designer shared that she would secretly play with her sisters’ Barbie dolls when her siblings weren’t around. “I was still afraid to be my [authentic self],” she said, adding, “My family really supported me growing up as a gay kid in the Philippines, and then being able to transition into a trans woman when I moved [to] San Francisco was like a turning point in my life where I realized that it’s really important to be authentic.”
Another early influence was the seamstress work of her mother, who sewed curtains, table runners, and pillowcases. Her mother’s work left Floresca fascinated with the sound of the sewing machine.
“There’s that creativity in the household that really opened my eyes to the world of fashion,” shared Floresca.
Academy of Art journey
Prior to her academic journey at the Academy, Floresca completed her undergraduate degree (“I graduated cum laude,” she commented) at De La Salle–College of Saint Benilde in Manila, Philippines, and launched a business in her home country right out of school.
“It went really, really well. I became one of the most sought-after young fashion designers in the Philippines,” said Floresca. “When I had the money saved up, I told myself, ‘What should I do with the money? Should I buy a house or should I go to the U.S. and pursue a master’s program?’”
After looking at schools in the U.S., Floresca decided the Academy’s School of Fashion in San Francisco was the place for her to pursue her higher education goals.
“I went to Academy of Art University, I got accepted; I went there, and I really loved it,” said Floresca, who began attending in 2012 and graduated with her master’s degree in fashion design in 2015. “The school really taught me the foundation of fashion, which is being able to really design, to draping, to sewing.”
Candidly, she shared that going through the School of Fashion’s master’s program was “really hard,” but also pushed her as a designer.
“I learned to be really creative,” said Floresca. “I learned to come up with new concepts and really challenge myself [to see] what else I can do. And those are the things that applied moving into joining ‘Project Runway.’”
She also credits her hands-on experience working with clients as an advantage in the “Project Runway” competition.
“My business is really bespoke and custom, so I learned how to dress up size zero, size two, size four, size 20, 22. And being able to work with different people with all shapes and genders and nationalities really helped me win the competition,” said Floresca.
“I want to be the next Christian Siriano.”
Season 21 of “Project Runway” wasn’t Floresca’s first brush with reality TV competitions. She was a part of the first season of “Project Runway Philippines” in 2008, where she made it all the way to the final before being eliminated. She also competed on the first season of Hulu’s “Dress My Tour,” where she was the runner-up in 2024.
However, getting cast on the OG “Project Runway” after auditioning for 13 years was a dream come true for the evening wear and bridal wear designer for very straightforward and practical reasons.
“It’s the first, right?” People know the show,” said Floresca. “I know for a fact that it will open a lot of doors of opportunity. Fashion is a very cutthroat business. You need to have a lot of money to be able to do it—that’s the reality.
She added, “I know that I don’t have a lot of money, but I know that I have the persistence and the talent and the determination to win the competition. I know that it will help me grow my business and my brand. I want to be the next Christian Siriano. [He’s] the most successful designer who won the competition, and look at him. He is running a [multi-million] dollar business.”
Pointing to powerhouse singers Kelly Clarkson and Carrie Underwood, whose careers skyrocketed following their winning runs on “American Idol,” Floresca knew what “Project Runway” could do for her career in the long run if she won.
“I know that ‘Project Runway’ is that door that would make me be a part of the fashion industry,” said Floresca, who said this aspect was a big part of her motivation. “Also, I’m a very competitive person.”
The competition
Week after week, Floresca put forth designs featuring sophisticatedly structured silhouettes, never shying away from a bold risk in wanting to showcase her authentic self through her work, while keeping both the judges and her fellow designers on their toes. Through feedback from the judges, she aimed to nail key elements through each design challenge.
“If Law Roach likes simple styling, you need to do simple styling, right? If Nina [Garcia] likes something editorial, you need to come up with a piece of clothing that would look good in photos that has that editorial feel,” explained Floresca. “And then Heidi likes sexy stuff; she imagines herself wearing this. So when I designed something, I would always [think], ‘Will Heidi see herself wearing this?’ Those are the things that I always apply when I present things.”
In the competition’s workroom, each of the designers had the opportunity for face time with Siriano to discuss each challenge and their design. Through Siriano’s mentorship, the designers received unfiltered advice and guidance, and in some cases, a reminder of previous feedback from the judges to help navigate design decisions.
“Christian really gave me valuable advice, honestly,” said Floresca. “And, the power of listening, right? I know when Christian tells you something, it’s coming from a point of constructive criticism, and he wants you to win.”
As a longtime super fan, a highlight of the competition for Floresca was the unconventional materials challenge. It was not only a showcase of her creativity, but of her high-level craftsmanship. Floresca took the material from shuttlecocks, also known as the “birdie” in badminton, and created a stunning, structured look that wowed the judges.
“[The shuttlecock was] all hand-sewn. I didn’t use glue, I didn’t use a base fabric. I created my own base and structure,” shared Floresca. “That’s really a product of love. And I think that was also the turning point in my experience on ‘Project Runway.’ When they saw that dress, [the judges] are now paying attention to me because of that.”
For the elevated companion look that garnered Floresca her first challenge win of the competition, she knew the shuttlecock looked very similar to lace, so she followed that inclination in her complementary design. The result was a striking black pantsuit constructed primarily from lace, with boning highlighted throughout.
“I knew immediately that I needed to use a lace because it’s delicate,” said Floresca. “It’s so fragile, and it’s very sexy and modern, but wearable.”
“A Beautiful Moment”
Floresca was joined in the “Project Runway” season 21 finale by fellow designers Jesus Estrada and Ethan Mundt. The challenge for the finale was to create a collection that featured five looks. The designers had five days to complete the challenge.
She revealed that her initial design concept for her collection was based on vampires, but she decided to change it to tell a more personal design story. “Part of me told me I have to change it, and I’m glad I did that,” said Floresca.
The collection that would later hit the runway pulled inspiration from the 1991 film “Terminator 2: Judgement Day.”
“I remember that movie growing up as a kid,” she said. “Me and my dad would always watch that movie.”
Floresca took her intrigue of the “Mercury guy,” the T-1000 character played by Robert Patrick, and focused on creating a collection that translated this detail of the character throughout her designs.
“I want that inspiration to create a collection that I’ll be very proud of, that would challenge me because I’ve never done that collection before,” said Floresca. “Also, [it] would show me as a person who idolizes my dad and pays tribute to him, for loving and accepting me. That is a story that I want to tell, and that is the inspiration that I want to use for my finale collection.”
Her collection, “A Beautiful Moment,” showcased looks created from a silver metallic leather and draped gray knitwear, detailed with silver hemlines. Her final look to hit the runway was a hand-sewn, one-shoulder, silver chainmail dress. A hint of silver chainmail could also be seen in the designer’s streetwear-esque cropped top and shiny black jacket, which was paired with wide-leg black pants, fitted at the waist, with one leg featuring a large slit, connected by a silver clasp.
The judges, including special guest judge Michael Kors, had mainly positive feedback for the designer following the finale runway, with the black and silver look being a point of contention. While it was Garcia’s favorite look of Floresca’s collection, Klum felt it was out of place.
But what they all could agree on was the silver chainmail dress.
“This gown is spectacular,” Kors told the designer. “It’s glorious looking. This really had that ‘kapow factor.’”
On the making of her collection, Floresca said, “Five days to make a final collection is actually crazy, to begin with, but to me, that was the last challenge, so I needed to make sure that I put all my energy into it, and I did.”
Representation and advice for students
Going into “Project Runway,” Floresca explained that she was very passionate about being both the first Filipino and transgender winner of the show.
“I want to represent the community. I want to tell them that fashion is a safe space for everybody like me. We champion inclusivity, we champion diversity and uniqueness,” the designer said. “It’s one of the things that I really, really want to do moving forward to have that representation. And I’m glad that I represented my community really well.”
As the latest Academy alum to make it onto “Project Runway,” Floresca’s advice for students hoping to be cast on the reality competition show is to prepare themselves in myriad ways.
“‘Project Runway’ is not just a designing competition; there’s the technicality part of it,” she said. “You need the skillset to win the competition. You don’t have days, you don’t have weeks, you only have hours to finish. So practice more. They need to go in there with a winning mindset. And don’t be afraid to take risks and find their identity, because it’s also important to have that very specific design identity that will separate them from other designers.”