R’Bonney Gabriel refashions her future after ‘Project Runway’ exit

R’Bonney Gabriel’s short-lived Project Runway journey ultimately revealed her biggest strength: perseverance. Refusing to give up on herself and her dream, the 2022 Miss Universe and Filipina-American fashion designer isn’t giving up on the pieces she loves, including the design that sent her home from the American reality TV show. “I love this design, but the judges didn’t, and that’s ok. I’ll forever believe that trying and failing is ALWAYS better than not trying at all,” R’Bonney said in a social media post on Monday, July 20. “We can so easily talk ourselves out of taking risks because of fear or rejection, embarrassment, failure…but who cares? Life is too short not to go after opportunities.” R’Bonney also teased plans to release improved versions of the design under her label, R’BONNEY NOLA, as the piece had received so much love from followers of her brand and her own supporters. R’Bonney got eliminated right in the first week of Season 22 of the hit reality competition for aspiring fashion designers, going home along with six other contestants in the second episode on Thursday, July 16. “I’d be lying if I were to say I don’t feel insecure after this experience. It definitely makes me question myself as a designer, but I’m going to take this as a learning lesson,” she admitted. “I just want to dedicate more time to my craft and my fashion business, and I want to continue to improve on that.” Entering Project Runway, R’Bonney shared, was her way of proving that she’s more than just a beauty queen. “I had all these dreams of the success that could come from competing on this show,” she said in a vulnerable and honest Instagram post. “The opportunity to have face time with the hosts, be immersed in the design room for a long period of time without any other distractions. I was fantasizing about that and it got cut so short.” Fans of R’Bonney — whose father Remigio Bonzon “R. Bon” Gabriel is Filipino — know that fashion design has always been her passion. Before her Miss Universe journey, she earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Fine Arts, majoring in Fashion Design with a minor in Fibers from the University of North Texas. In the final question and answer that won her the Miss Universe crown in 2022, she shared how she uses “fashion as a force of good.” R’Bonney uses sustainable and recycled materials for her clothing and taught sewing classes to women survivors of human trafficking and domestic violence. Her independent fashion label, R’BONNEY NOLA, practices sustainable design methods and is handmade in small batch pieces. The piece she selected to showcase for Project Runway represented those experiences and values, as the ensemble was crafted entirely from repurposed denim. However, despite loving the understated design, R’Bonney realized she might not have “understood the assignment” when the Project Runway judges said they were looking for something more “inspiring.” “I made a really bad decision on the design that I decided to bring from home,” the 32-year-old said. “If I could do it all again, I would bring a different piece. I’ve been sewing for 15, 16 years and there are so many other pieces that I could have brought that could have shown my skill or looked like they took a really long time [to make], but I brought a piece that was one of my most recent and that I was so obsessed with.” The rejection, while discouraging and frustrating, was ultimately motivating for her. It made her realize that she needs to focus on her craft more than ever. “This cannot define me as a designer. This does not mean that I am not talented.,” she said. “I just want my design work to now be my ultimate shining star.” This passion and determination has already served R’Bonney well in the past, as she has already produced works that shine in their own right. In 2024, she debuted her very first collection at the Bench Fashion Week Holiday. She sourced her materials from recycled fabrics and old scraps with unique textures, creating pieces that blended the contrasting elements of streetwear, inspired by her hometown of Houston, Texas, with beachwear, representing the beautiful beaches of the Philippines to celebrate her Filipino roots. Shortly after, she was a featured designer of Fashion for Freedom, a Dallas-based fashion show in support of My Refuge House, a Cebu nonprofit that provides comprehensive and therapeutic care for survivors and communities impacted by commercial sexual exploitation. Her collection, “And The World Was Hers…” consisted of sunset-inspired hues and upcycled leather all sourced and made in the Philippines. Getting to debut this collection in Texas, her home state, with clothing sourced in the Philippines and for the benefit of Filipinos, was a full circle moment for R’Bonney. “Fashion is cool, but fashion is even cooler when it’s used for a greater purpose.” Even when R’Bonney was frequently invited to Miss Universe events and hosting opportunities, she would still endeavor to design her own showstopping looks. She always documents the entire process on her social media, being a source of inspiration for young designers. Reframing her Project Runway setback as a redirection and not a rejection, R’Bonney looks forward to what the future holds. “I’ve been doing so many other things in my career that I haven’t been solely focused on design,” she said. “Entering Project Runway was a devastating and humbling experience and definitely did not go as well as I was hoping for. But as disappointed as I am, I’m only looking forward to investing more into my craft and building my brand.” – Elise Suarez/Rappler.com Elise Suarez is a Rappler intern from Puerto Princesa City and a Humanities student of the University of Asia & the Pacific.