By Cedie Lazaro
When R’Bonney Gabriel enters the Project Runway workroom, she brings more than a sketchpad—she carries the vibrant threads of her bicultural heritage. Best known as Miss Universe 2022, Gabriel is pivoting from the pageant stage back to her first love: avant-garde, sustainable design. As the first Filipina-American to win Miss Universe, her new television stint is a masterclass in radical representation.
Photos: Instagram/R’Bonney Gabriel
Gabriel’s design philosophy is deeply intertwined with her roots. Born to a Filipino immigrant father and an American mother in Houston, Texas, her sustainable brand, R’Bonney Nola, reflects this cultural intersection. By pairing Texas streetwear silhouettes with traditional Filipino textiles, she creates garments that tell a story of the diaspora. On Project Runway, her secret weapon will be her ability to modernize traditional garments, like the iconic terno with its structural butterfly sleeves, transforming heritage into mainstream high fashion.
There is a misconception that pageant style lacks the gritty edge required for Project Runway. Gabriel is here to dismantle that stereotype. Holding a fashion design degree from the University of North Texas, she is a trained designer who championed eco-conscious, zero-waste design throughout her pageant career.
Her presence on a global platform like Project Runway opens doors for the next generation of Asian-American creatives. By showing up as an unapologetically proud Filipina-American, she proves that cultural traditions are versatile enough to dominate the Western fashion industry.
As the sewing machines rev up, R’Bonney Gabriel is no longer competing for a crown. She is competing for creative freedom and the chance to prove that cultural storytelling belongs at the top tier of fashion. She is already stitching her name permanently into fashion history.
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Janeena Chan is on the cover of STYLISH Magazine right now. The multihyphenate media star, in-demand host, singer, actress, Sparkle artist, and our very own Stylish correspondent shares her journey as a modern Filipina-Chinese woman navigating her career in entertainment and lifestyle while embracing her heritage.
Read the Stylish Magazine January-February 2026 cover story here.
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