Miss USA R’Bonney Gabriel crowned 71st Miss Universe

 New Orleans: Miss USA 2022 R’Bonney Gabriel won the Miss Universe pageant on January 15 in New Orleans, Louisiana.  She was crowned the 71st Miss Universe by her predecessor Harnaaz Sandhu.

Miss Venezuela and Miss Dominican Republic were runners-up. Miss India Divita Rai could only reach the top 16.

At a glitzy event held at the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center in New Orleans, Louisiana, women from 84 different nations competed in the beauty pageant.

R’Bonney is the first Filippino American to win the title. She is an eco-friendly fashion designer, model, and sewing instructor. According to the official website of Miss Universe, “She attributes her opportunistic outlook to her upbringing immersed in the arts, sports, and travel. As a high-school volleyball player who pivoted to fashion, she quickly fell in love with constructing designs with fabrics and textiles at the young age of 15.

“At the University of North Texas, she earned a Bachelor’s degree in Fashion Design with a Minor in Fibers in 2018. She is currently CEO of her own sustainable clothing line, R’Bonney Nola,” it said.