1st runner-up 2021
A native of Friendswood, R’Bonney Gabriel was crowned Miss Texas USA in July 2022, Miss USA in October and Miss Universe 2022 in January. She is the 10th Miss USA winner from Texas and the USA’s ninth Miss USA. R’Bonney has a degree in fashion design, owns her own design label, R’Bonney Nola, and has a focus on sustainable fashion.
R’Bonney Gabriel played volleyball in high school and pivoted to fashion when she started sewing at age 15 and fell in love with constructing things with fabrics and textiles. At the University of North Texas, she earned a degree in fashion design with a minor in fibers in 2018. Next, she experienced an internship with fashion designer Nicole Miller in New York City. For the past three years, R’Bonney has worked at the nonprofit design house Magpies & Peacocks, which collects discarded materials and upcycles them into new collections. She also has her own design label, R’Bonney Nola.
Away from the spotlight, R’Bonney loves to hula hoop, backpack and read, especially the writings of motivational speaker Les Brown, who authored her favorite quote, “Don’t let someone else’s opinion of you become your reality.”
R’Bonney is the first Filipina to win Miss Texas USA and Miss USA.
R’Bonney competed at Miss Universe on home soil in New Orleans, three months after winning Miss USA. She become the USAs ninth Miss Universe, and shared the stage with their eighth titleholder Olivia Culpo who was co-hosting. R’Bonney has given Texas their second Miss Universe crown, tying them with South Carolina as the only two states which lay claim to more than one Miss Universe.
The on-stage moments, the tension of the final two and the glory of the crowning, here are R’Bonney’s Miss Texas USA state pageant photos.
Lights, camera, action! Professional photoshoots are one of the perks that comes from winning a title.
R’Bonney first competed at Miss Texas USA 2021, finishing first runner-up to Victoria Hinojosa.
