Project Runway Crowns Historic Winner After Drama-Filled Season

Trans Filipina designer Veejay Floresca has won this season of Project Runway, making her the first trans winner in the reality competition show’s 21 seasons.

While crying “tears of joy,” Floresca shared that she had been watching Project Runway since season one when she was “just a little gay boy in the Philippines,” and that she’d “always been wanting to do this.” “And now this is my time, so thank you,” she said. “Thank you for being part of my dream.” Indeed, this has been a long time coming for Floresca, who built a business as an eveningwear and bridal designer. A new profile of the designer in Elle details that she was the second runner-up in the first season of the show’s Filipino edition, and that she’d been applying to compete on the U.S. version every season since 2012. Along the way, she also competed on Hulu’s Dress My Tour, where she paced as a runner up.

The win was especially resonant, as Floresca’s final collection was inspired by Terminator 2: Judgment Day, a movie she used to watch with her late father all the time. (She also, notably, chose Mimi Tao as her finale model, who previously made Project Runway history as the first trans person to appear on the show.) After her father’s death in 2001, she shared in the episode, her family “became super poor because he’s the breadwinner of the family.” “Winning Project Runway would give me the money to take care of my family, and to give them a better life,” she said. “My mom is coming for the finale and trust me, mom, I promise you that no matter what happens I’m going to make you proud.” Thankfully, Floresca’s mother didn’t just get to witness a beautiful tribute to her late husband — she got to witness her daughter’s historic win for that tribute. For her win, Floresca will receive a $200,000 cash prize, mentorship with the Council of Fashion Designers of America and a spread in Elle magazine.