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R’Bonney Gabriel. Images: Instagram/@rbonneynola
One of R’Bonney Gabriel’s goals as Miss Universe 2022 is to push for sustainable fashion through reworking clothes and using repurposed materials. And she spared no moment to display how glamorous it can be.
Gabriel expressed her desire to use fashion as a source for good as she spoke about teaching sewing to survivors of domestic violence and human trafficking as a source of healing during her pageant stint. Since her coronation, she traveled around the world wearing sustainably-designed clothes, including ones that she created herself.
As we celebrate the Filipino-American’s reign, allow us to look back at some of the outfits she designed herself throughout her Miss Universe journey.
‘Phoenix rising’
Pageant watchers were impressed with Gabriel’s design prowess after she revealed that her cape in the swimsuit round was “sustainably dyed and designed using plastic bottles.” During her time, candidates were asked to wear capes showing their chosen advocacies along with their chosen swimwear.
The result is a cape in a fiery orange shade with plastic bottle scraps made to resemble flames, along with her life motto, “If not now, then when,” sewn on the corners.
Modern Filipiniana
The beauty queen paid tribute to her Filipina roots by reconstructing an old blazer into a modern Filipiniana top for a shoot with Vogue Philippines.
The oversized blazer was transformed into a beautiful cropped Filipiniana top with its signature butterfly sleeves containing an intricate pattern. “At the time I was making this, I had the intention of creating new designs in a more environmentally conscious way,” she wrote on Instagram.
Shoulder pads gone chic
Gabriel breathed new life into a typical menswear-inspired blazer by adding more oomph on its shoulder pads with a layered detail in a lighter color, while the additional fabric was turned into a mini skirt.
“Upcycled @rbonneynola_design blazer. My new uniform,” she wrote.
Piña fiber in a blazer
Displaying her love for blazers, Gabriel showed up in a Miss Universe 2023 event wearing a cropped red upcycled blazer with the pièce de résistance being the piña fiber created in a dramatic, wavy design.
Shawl power
The beauty queen thanked London-based fashion brand Atsuko Kudo for their blue latex jumpsuit and top hat by whipping a matching shawl reminiscent of a dramatic feather boa.
“This is a zero waste design meaning no fabric scraps were leftover or thrown away in the sewing process. I used all the scraps to create volume in the collar for a fully conscious design,” she said in a separate post.
Summer ready
Gabriel showed off her unique eye for fashion as she created a sleeveless white crop top with fabric roses on the chest area and flowing bodice out of pleated fabric that’s perfect for a hot summer day.
“Picked up this recycled pleated fabric from @fab_scrap to make a top for my Thailand trip,” she wrote.
Upcycled tube top
Gabriel made a statement in one of her media activities as Miss Universe in a breathtaking dark blue tube top with a wavy blue design hugging the bodice until her collarbones — showing her apparent knack for wavy patterns and bold colors.