Leyna Bloom clarifies she’s the first Filipina to walk Paris runway before Pia Wurtzbach

Filipino-American transgender model Leyna Bloom looked back on the time that she made history as the first Filipina to walk the L’Oréal Paris runway, after Miss Universe 2015 Pia Wurtzbach made headlines that claimed she was the first Filipina to grace the same stage this year. 

Bloom took to Instagram on Friday, Sept. 27, to reflect on her journey when she first walked the Paris runway, expressing her pride to have brought honor to the Philippines and the Blaan tribe, one of the indigenous peoples of Southern Mindanao.

“I’m incredibly grateful to [L’Oréal Paris] for inviting me to be part of such a powerful and inspiring show. Reflecting on this journey, it feels surreal that nearly three years have passed since I made history as the first #Filipino [Philippine flag emoji] and #BlaanTribe woman to walk the prestigious L’Oréal Paris runway, right in front of the iconic Eiffel Tower. That moment, shared with [Kat Graham], is etched in my heart as a powerful reminder of how far we’ve come. We absolutely owned that runway!” she captioned her post.

The model-activist remarked that it was a “significant” year for her as she also brought honor to the transgender community in a society that needs diversity, inclusion and empowerment.

“That year holds even deeper significance because I had the honor of standing alongside [Ines Rau] as we became the first trans women to ever walk that legendary stage. It wasn’t just about representation—it was about breaking boundaries, changing perceptions, and showing the world that beauty transcends the limits placed on us by society,” she stated. 

Bloom then congratulated Wurtzbach for being the “second Filipina” to bring the same honor to the Philippines. 

“Congratulations to [@piawurtzbach] for being the second Filipino woman to ever walk the show. You looked incredible on the runway this year,” she wrote.

However, Bloom edited her caption after a netizen commented that another Filipino blood, Stephanie Valentine, has also walked the runway alongside Wurtzbach.

“I didn’t know. That’s incredible. I tagged her in the caption. Thank you,” replied the model.

“Huge congratulations to my Filipino sisters [@glamzilla] & [@piawurtzbach], for walking the runway this year—you both looked absolutely stunning and represented us beautifully,” concluded the edited post.

After a netizen tagged her, Bloom also commented on Wurtzbach’s post about being the first Filipina to walk the international runway.

“No, she’s not. Leyla Bloom walked twice already,” said the netizen.

“Thank you. [I] love representing General Santos [crown emoji] #Blaan tribe [Philippine flag emoji],” she replied.

On Sept. 24, Wurtzbach posted on her Instagram that she was “excited to make history as the first Filipina walking the L’Oréal catwalk for Le Défilé,” after the luxury brand also announced her historic appearance.