The 28-year-old newly crowned Miss USA, who is from Bayou City, is also a fashion designer, who created some of the gowns she wore on stage. During the interview round, Gabriel, wearing a Maria Clara-inspired outfit, was asked how she will address climate change. “I am a fashion designer, I actually made the outfit I’m wearing in, I upcycle pieces and recycle different clothing to be more sustainable in my industry because I feel it’s like my duty,” she answered. “So, I think that’s something you can look for ways in our certain industries or in our homes to be sustainable as well.”
According to her Instagram account, Gabriel also owns an eco-friendly clothing brand called R’Bonney Nola, which offers handmade pieces made from sustainable materials. Her clothing line consists of everything from dresses to denim to T-shirts.. On Instagram, she posted a video detailing how she made the red dress she wore for the opening number from recycled materials.
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In another, she posted a video making another dress she wore for the pageant, saying she made it as a tribute to her parents. “My mom is from Beaumont, TX and my father is from the Philippines. They got married in Manila, Philippines. I hand painted the same flower design from my mothers wedding dress onto my sleeves and tied in a traditional Maria Clara Filipina collar shape. I have immense gratitude for the opportunities my parents provided me and wanted to express my love to them through this.” After her crowning as Miss Texas USA, Gabriel said she now fells a “big responsability” to share her multicultural background and empower others to embrace their identities.
The beauty queen is a Harris County resident, and was previously crowned Miss Friendswood (city on the outskirts of Houston). Gabriel attended University of North Texas in Denton. She graduated in 2018 from the university with a bachelor’s degree in fashion design with a minor in fibers. Apart from being a fashion designer and model, at the moment, Gabriel also teaches sewing at Magpies and Peacocks fashion house, a Houston nonprofit organization, to women in under-served communites as well as survivors of domestic violence and human trafficking.
Not a newbie to pageantry, Gabriel was placed the second at both Miss Houston and Miss Kemah 2021
