Miss Universe 2022 R'Bonney Gabriel models Filipiniana she reconstructed from old blazer
MANILA, Philippines — Miss Universe 2022 R'Bonney Gabriel modelled for Vogue Philippines a Filipiniana top that she reconstructed from an old blazer of hers.
In a post on Instagram, the Filipino-American beauty queen shared video clips of how she made the black Filipiniana top.
"At the time I was making this, I had the intentions of creating new designs in a more environmentally conscious way," R'Bonney wrote in the caption, noting that around 92 million tons of textile waste go into landfills each year. "As a designer, I must continue to provide examples of solutions to this problem."
For the Vogue Philippines shoot, R'Bonney wore the reconstructed Filipiniana over a white tank from New York-based vintage and multi-label streetwear boutique SEE/KNOW paired with ripped jeans designed by Junya Watanabe from Artifact Vintage.
In a piece for the magazine's August issue, the reigning Miss Universe discusses the relevance of sustainable fashion.
"People can make fashion a force for good by recognizing how pollution in the industry affects us all, and taking small steps to make their wardrobe more environmentally friendly," R'Bonney told Vogue Philippines.
The beauty queen also said that in her capacity as Miss Universe she is currently making educational sewing and sustainable fashion videos for everyone's access and education.
R'Bonney, the first Filipino-American to be crowned Miss Universe, has a background in fashion design and is a longtime advocate for sustainable fashion — two of her pinned Instagram posts are videos of her repurposing clothing for new designs.
Miss Universe 2023 will take place this November in El Salvador, with Michelle Dee hoping to become the Philippines' fifth-ever winner.
