After a nail-biting pageant, Miss United States, R’Bonney Gabriel, wins the 71st annual Miss Universe contest. After competing against eighty-three candidates, the new queen secured the crown on Saturday, January 14, from the New Orleans Ernest N. Morial Convention Center.

Who is R’Bonney Gabriel?

R’Bonney is the lead sewing instructor at Magpies & Peacocks, a Houston-based non-profit design house dedicated to using “Fashion As A Force For Good” through sustainability and community impact. As “Gucci Changemakers” recipients, they were honored for their work of diverting unwanted textiles and fabrics from landfills and turning them into fashion collections. Within the “MAKR” program, she teaches sewing classes to women that have survived human trafficking and domestic violence.

As the first Filipino-American to win Miss USA, she shares the importance of embracing your culture. As a voice for Asian Americans, she opened the door for more diversity and representation. R’Bonney’s mission is for women and young girls to see themselves in her and feel inspired to conquer their goals by owning who they are.