R’Bonney Gabriel of the United States was crowned the 71st Miss Universe on Saturday night.
Gabriel, who last year became the first Filipino-American to win Miss USA, won the crown ahead of Amanda Dudamel of Venezuela and Andreína Martínez of the Dominican Republic.
The pageant was held in New Orleans, Louisiana, with 84 women from around the world competing for the crown.
Saturday night was the final day of the competition, with eliminations whittling down the number of finalists down to the final two.
When Gabriel made it into the Top 5, she was asked, “Miss Universe recently made an inclusive change that allowed mothers and married women to compete this year. What’s another change you’d like to see and why ?”
Gabriel replied that he hoped the pageant organizers would increase the age limit for candidates.
“Me, I wish I’d raise the age because I’m 28. And that’s the oldest age to compete. And I think that’s a beautiful thing. My favorite line is ‘if not now, when?’ Because as a woman, I think age doesn’t define us. It’s not tomorrow, it’s not yesterday, but it’s now. The time is now,” she said.
Miss USA R’Bonney Gabriel is crowned at the Miss Universe pageant in New Orleans on January 14, 2023. Credit: Jason Kempin/Getty Images
Houston native Gabriel is a model, fashion designer and sewing instructor who prioritizes the environment in her work.
Before the pageant, Gabriel donned a red-orange cape inspired by a rising phoenix with the maxim “if not now, then when,” which she had dyed herself. The words are inspired by his father’s advice to act on goals, dreams and desires.
In the final Q&A segment of the competition, the top 3 candidates were asked how they would work to demonstrate Miss Universe as an empowering and progressive organization if they win the title.
Gabriel said he would use the platform to be a “transformational leader” and emphasized his passion as a force for good in the fashion industry, reducing pollution and using recycled materials to make clothing.
“I teach sewing classes to women who have survived human trafficking and domestic violence. And I say this because it’s so important to invest in others, invest in our community and use your unique talent to make a difference,” she said Gabriel
“We all have something special and when we plant those seeds for other people in our lives, we transform them and use that as a vehicle for change.”
This year’s pageant was first organized by JKN Global Group PCL, a media distribution company based in Thailand, after tycoon and transgender rights advocate Anne Jakkaphong Jakrajutatip bought the Miss Universe Organization for 20 million dollars in October.
Jakkaphong has spoken openly about her experiences as a transgender woman and is also the pageant’s first female owner.
He made an appearance on stage to award the winner of the ImpactWayv Challenge in Thailand, Anna Sueangam-iam, honoring her commitments to social good. In the preliminary rounds of the pageant, Miss Thailand had made waves in a dress made of soda tablets, a tribute to her. humble beginnings and his parents’ work as garbage.