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Elle Smith passed down the Miss USA crown to Miss Texas USA, R'Bonney Gabriel, tonight at the 71st Miss USA pageant competition. She will represent USA in the Miss Universe 2022 pageant at the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center in New Orleans, competing against 73 countries.
As a fashion designer, R' Bonney Gabriel is known for making eco-friendly dresses from recycled materials.
Miss USA R'Bonney Gabriel hosts sewing classes
R'Bonney Gabriel is a Houston-based Filipino-American and a professional fashion designer and model. She is 5 foot 7 inches tall and runs her fashion label called R'Bonney Nola. Gabriel is also associated with the Magpies & Peacocks, through which she runs her sewing classes. She graduated from the University of North Texas in 2018 with a bachelor's degree in fashion and apparel design and a minor in fibers.
R' Bonney's mother is from Texas, while her father is from the Philippines. Her father emigrated to the USA when he was 19 and received a doctorate in psychology from the University of Houston.
She participated in the Miss Texas pageant twice, ultimately winning the second one. She was the first runner-up to Victoria Hinojosa in 2021. Speaking of the same, she said,
"I had to make sure I was strong in every category. I worked really hard every day the past eight months. I wanted to outwork the competition and go in feeling confident."
R'Bonney represented Friendswood at the Miss Texas competition in July 2022 among 88 candidates. She wore a Rian Fernandez custom dress and became the first Miss Texas USA of Filipino descent. She wore a Patrick Isorena label dress for the state costume show in 2022 and won the round against 50 candidates.
Fans congratulate R'Bonney Gabriel for the historic win
Fans took to Twitter to congratulate R'Bonney Gabriel on becoming the first Filipino American Miss USA in history.
What happened at the Miss USA pageant tonight?
Tonight at the Miss USA competition, 16 women were chosen out of 51 states to compete based on online votes. The participants were from the District of Columbia, Connecticut, Missouri, Kansas, Minnesota, New Hampshire, New Mexico, Tennessee, Vermont, California, and West Virginia.
Due to a new twist, the judges eliminated four women (from California, the District of Columbia, Missouri, and West Virginia) based on their first impression walk. The top 12 contestants were asked to participate in a swimsuit and evening gown round.
The description reads,
"Are your sights set on the stars? Can you see yourself living in Hollywood, catching another lens on the red carpet? Well get ready for more than you could ever dream of, all wrapped up in the life-changing experience that is Miss USA 2022."
It also states,
"Step onto the stage that can pave the way for the rest of your life as we bring together 51 women from across the nation to vie for the ultimate title of Miss USA. This is the coveted crown globally that inspires young women to claim their beauty and voice!"
After the rounds, five women were selected based on their performances, including Morgan Romano, Sir'Quora Carroll, Angel Reyes, R'Bonney Gabriel, and Natalie Pieper. R' Bonney won the title, while Morgan was crowned the first runner-up.
The Miss Universe competition will take place in the USA in January 2023, where Harnaaz Sandhu will crown her successor.
