Veejay Floresca, 'Project Runway' S21 winner, is now engaged
Veejay Floresca is set to jump from runway to altar.
On Facebook, the Season 21 winner of Project Runway shared black-and-white photos of herself and her partner on Feb. 1, with her engagement ring in full view.
"Thinking of a perfect caption, but [I] can't think of anything. All I know is [I'm] ready to spend the rest of my life with you," Floresca captioned the photos, finishing off with a heart emoji.
Replying to the hundreds of congratulations in her comment section, Floresca wrote, "Thank you. [C]an't reply to each post but we appreciate the kind words and love."
A day later, she posted a carousel of photos on Instagram showing what she was up to in January. Among the photos was a selfie with her fiancé, whom she did not name.
"A month full of love," Floresca wrote in the caption.
The fashion designer has had a long history with fashion reality shows. She was in the first season of Project Runway Philippines in 2008, where she placed third. Years later, Floresca ended as first runner-up on the American reality show Dress My Tour. In the show, she was one of 11 designers tasked to create pieces for celebrity musicians.
She also graced the international beauty pageant scene. In 2022, Floresca was the Philippines' representative in the Miss Trans Star International, held in Barcelona, Spain. She placed in the top 16.
Throughout it all, Floresca kept trying out for the American edition of Project Runway; she applied 13 times.
In an interview with Elle Magazine, Floresca said, "Every time I would see the word 'unfortunately' at the top of the email, I would tell myself, 'It's not your time yet, but hold on because your time will come. Now is that time.'"
As the first trans woman and Filipino-American to win Project Runway, Floresca carried her communities on her shoulders as she celebrated her win.
"I've been wanting to be part of this competition, so when Heidi (Klum) announced my name as the winner, I couldn't believe it," she told the hosts of Good Morning America in an interview. "I'm like, 'Am I dreaming? Is it really happening?' But then you know, I realized that I deserve it, and I worked hard to be in that position and to be announced as a winner. I'm just really really happy."
"With what's going on in our country, I think that being here representing my community, it feels amazing. And I tell everybody that fashion is a safe space for everybody with diversity [and] inclusivity. So I feel honored to be the first person to represent the community," Floresca said.
Her practice is based in New York, where she focuses her creations on sustainability with unique, eco-conscious pieces. She believes fashion "should be personal, inclusive, and kind to the planet."
