Who is R’Bonney Gabriel, the first Filipino-American to be crowned Miss Universe 2022?

 

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According to the official Miss Universe website, Gabriel grew up in Houston and was a volleyball player in high school. By the age of 15, she had developed a keen interest in fashion, textiles and fabrics. She went on to study further at the University of North Texas, where she graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in fashion design, with a minor in fibres in 2018.

In the question round at the Miss Universe 2022 ceremony, she was asked, “If you win Miss Universe, how will you work to demonstrate this is an empowering and progressive organisation?” She replied that through her business, the clothing brand R’bonney Nola, she focuses on cutting down on pollution and using recycled materials. She also revealed she teaches sewing to women who have survived human trafficking and domestic violence.

She also works as a lead sewing instructor at a Houston-based non-profit design house called Magpies & Peacocks. The non-profit organisation believes in using fashion as a force of good and championing the cause of sustainability and community impact, something that aligns with Gabriel’s personal values too. For her work, she also received the Gucci Changemakers title. Her passion for design is evident on her Instagram pages where she posts frequently about her work.

Gabriel is also the first Filipino-American to win this title and takes great pride in her culture. Through one of her outfits at the preliminary rounds for Miss USA 2022, she paid homage to María Clara. Clara is the protagonist in the novel Noli Me Tángere and is considered a national feminist hero of the Philippines.

 

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In an interview with ABC News she was quoted saying, “My dad moved to America from the Philippines on a college scholarship with about $20 in his pocket. He wanted to pave a new life for himself. He met my mom in Texas, who is a country woman from Beaumont. I’m a very proud Filipina Texan.” She wants to use this platform to be a voice for her community in America.

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