Veejay Floresca Wins Her First Challenge on Project Runway

If you haven't been watching the 21st season of Project Runway, then you might want to reconsider. The show recently aired its fifth episode, and Filipina designer Veejay Floresca won the week's respective challenge.

The ask was an extension of the classic unconventional materials challenge, where the remaining designers had to create a companion look using actual fabrics. Veejay had a top placement in the previous week, where she designed a dress made entirely of shuttlecocks. 

In the workroom, Veejay shared her plan of manipulating the black fabric to look like shuttlecocks. To add intricacy and edge, she planned to use boning on the outside. The Filipina designer managed to pull off both beautifully, besting Ethan 'Utica' Mundt and Jesus Estrada, who were in the top three with her. 

During judging, Nina Garcia praised Veejay's design. "It's fragile but strong, unexpected; really marvelous. The transparency, the tailoring—everything was really smart," she said. Guest judge Jenna Lyons also raved about Veejay's dress, affirming that jumpsuits are hard to fit and that her work is spot on. 

With this win under her belt, Veejay strengthens her standing in the competition. As we anticipate the second-half of the season, here are the designs that the Filipina has sent down the runway so far. 

For this challenge, Veejay zeroed in on using shuttlecocks as her unconventional material. Her intricate dress was praised by Law Roach, who chose it as one of the top three designs for the week. 

For this group challenge, the designers were asked to transform a boring fabric into something brilliant. Veejay's group had to work with gray wool, and she created a sculptural dress that's bold and sexy.

The second episode featured a collaboration with activewear brand Calia. Veejay went for a black and red athleisure piece that featured texture through woven strings. 

Part of the villain team, Veejay took inspiration from The Little Mermaid's Ursula. The slashed leather top mirrors the character's tentacles, while proportion came into play with the pleated trousers.

Rooting for you, Veejay!