In a momentous finale on September 25, 2025, Filipina designer Veejay Floresca was crowned the winner of Project Runway Season 21, becoming the show’s first transgender champion in its 21st season. Her victory is not just personal. It carries symbolic resonance for transgender visibility in fashion, entertainment, and beyond.
Floresca’s path to this achievement was anything but straightforward. Before relocating to the U.S., she launched her namesake label in the Philippines and competed in Project Runway Philippines in 2008, landing as second runner-up. Driven by passion, she applied to the U.S. version of Project Runway for 11 straight seasons before finally being accepted. That determination shows grit and persistence.
On the show, Floresca brought more than design talent. She brought storytelling, heritage, and bold identity. Her final collection drew inspiration from Terminator 2: Judgment Day, paying tribute to her late father and blending futurism with emotional resonance. Her red-accented palette honored her mother’s favorite color and her Filipino roots, standing as a visual symbol of love, loss, strength, and continuity.
Judges praised Floresca’s coherence, vision, and fearlessness. She was willing to step off the beaten path. “If they’re doing gowns, I’m going to do pants,” she once said. Even when challenged, such as when her red vinyl fringe design almost led to elimination, she leaned into risk and transformed critique into growth.
Her win came with a prize package designed to launch her fashion career: $200,000 in cash, a mentorship with the Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA), and a feature spread in Elle magazine. But for many watching, the value goes beyond dollars and publicity. It is about the doors this moment may open for marginalized creatives.
In interviews following her victory, Floresca addressed what this milestone means for the transgender community. “I’m an immigrant, I’m a trans woman, a trans woman of color, and people need to see that we are not enemies. We are just normal people with dreams and aspirations,” she said. She has urged others who feel unseen or silenced to hold on: “If I can do it, you can too.”
This win carries particular power for trans youth and creatives who too often wrestle with invisibility. Floresca’s journey underscores that representation is not optional. It is essential. Her visibility challenges stereotypes, asserts complexity, and gives a face to perseverance.
Of course, one victory does not erase systemic barriers. Transgender individuals continue to face disproportionate discrimination, violence, and erasure across many spheres. But symbolic breakthroughs like this help shift culture, open hearts, and reframe possibility.
For TransVitae readers, Veejay Floresca’s win offers more than inspiration. It is a reminder that identity, artistry, and resilience can intersect to reshape narratives. Her victory is a thread in a larger tapestry of trans liberation, expanding what is conceivable in fashion, media, and self-belief.
