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Some designers have muses. Veejay Floresca has a shuttlecock. The now-iconic motif has followed her from Project Runway Season 21, where her unconventional-materials challenge win made the textured frock a certified fan-favorite. Call it destiny, call it drag-out drama, call it the runway version of a well-placed serve, spinning long after the first hit. Now, at New York Fashion Week Spring/Summer 2026 under the FILIPINXT banner, the De La Salle – College of Saint Benilde graduate brought it back—sleeker, sharper, and infinitely more wearable for an inclusive audience.
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The designer, who first found her footing at MEGA’s Young Designers Competition before racking up TV credits as runners-up on both Project Runway Philippines, Hulu’s Dress My Tour, and now Project Runway Season 21 (where she’s become everyone’s favorite underdog yet again), has been a pop culture fixture as much as she is a designer.
“This capsule collection was created for the launch of my new website and online store,” she explains. “I really thought about my clients—their lifestyles, the wearability of each piece, and the commercial side of fashion. I envision real people wearing these looks in their everyday lives.”
Her Spring/Summer 2026 outing pulsed with Floresca’s signature values—empowerment, inclusivity, and a refusal to make fashion a one-size-fits-all fantasy. “Inclusivity is non-negotiable for me,” she says. That meant casting models across the size, age, and identity spectrum, with silhouettes and textures crafted to honor that range. If you’ve ever wanted to see a runway where “diversity” isn’t an afterthought but the main event, Floresca delivered it with ease because she believes in it.
Yet, for all the messaging, the clothes never its way or feel as forced. The updated shuttlecock dress rippled laser-cut petals as it captured whimsy and wearability. Alongside it came a disco-ball-sheen column gown, a voluminous siren-red dress, and a cascade of fringe layered over tailored trousers.
From her early years in the Philippines to her globe-spanning career, Veejay Floresca has stitched her way into countless narratives. But this time, she’s crafting her own: less runner-up, more reigning star—and everyone else is invited to watch.
Photographed by DOMINIC SENADOR
