Arzen Rose Dulzura

Veejay Floresca on making history in ‘Project Runway’: ‘I feel honored to represent my community’

Article (news)

E. Kristhoff Cagape

Push Team

&quot;It&#x27;s a fulfillment of a dream.&quot;These were the words of Filipino-American designer Veejay Floresca on winning the 21st season of Project Runway.&quot;I&#x27;ve been wanting to be part of this competition so when Heidi (Klum) announced my name as the winner, I couldn&#x27;t believe it. I&#x27;m like, am I dreaming? Is this really happening? But then I realized that I deserve it. I worked hard to be in that position and to be announced as the winner, I&#x27;m just really, really happy,&quot; she said in an interview on Good Morning America.Veejay also reflected on making history as the first Filipino-American and the first transwoman winner of the show.&quot;Being the first Filipino-American transwoman of color to win this iconic competition is it&#x27;s a celebration of authenticity. With what&#x27;s going on in our country, I think that being there representing my community, it feels amazing. I tell everybody that fashion is a safe space for everybody. We celebrate diversity inclusivity, so I feel honored to be the first person to represent my community,&quot; she remarked.<iframe class="instagram-media instagram-media-rendered" id="instagram-embed-0" src="https://www.instagram.com/p/DO96PKYjGzN/embed/?cr=1&amp;v=14&amp;wp=768&amp;rd=https%3A%2F%2Fod2-workbench-web.abs-cbn.com&amp;rp=%2F#%7B%22ci%22%3A0%2C%22os%22%3A125080.30000000005%2C%22ls%22%3A123690.40000000002%2C%22le%22%3A125068.30000000005%7D" allowtransparency="true" allowfullscreen="" frameBorder="0" height="773" data-instgrm-payload-id="instagram-media-payload-0" scrolling="no" style="background:white;max-width:540px;width:calc(100% - 2px);border-radius:3px;border:1px solid rgb(219, 219, 219);box-shadow:none;display:block;margin:0px 0px 12px;min-width:326px;padding:0px"></iframe><script async="" src="//www.instagram.com/embed.js"></script>When asked how the challenges on the show, both on the runway and behind the scenes, shaped her as a designer, she replied: &quot;I believe that you need to be hard working, you need to work hard. Fashion is a cut-throat industry, it&#x27;s not for a sissy, if you&#x27;re sensitive. It&#x27;s a lot of work and being in the competition itself, I tried so many times to get there. I&#x27;ve been rejected so many times, I&#x27;ve been rejected 13 times to be there, so it just made me stronger and being in that competition, my mindset is to win this, so I am very, very competitive. Obviously, you&#x27;ve seen the show and to me it&#x27;s just a competition and we&#x27;re all friends.&quot;Veejay was auditioning to be part of Project Runway for 13 years since she moved to the US in 2012.On what&#x27;s next for her as a designer, she shared: &quot;I&#x27;m an evening wear and bridal wear designer. I design for different types of women, different shapes because I think every woman is beautiful, every color is beautiful, so for me what&#x27;s next for me is to really to take advantage of this opportunity to grow my brand.&quot;

Veejay Floresca is the first Filipino-American and first transwoman to win 'Project Runway.'

Veejay Floresca is the first Filipino-American and first transwoman to win 'Project Runway.'