First, let me clarify by clearly stating that I am NOT a fan of beauty contests. With that being said, I was fascinated to hear about the winner of Miss Universe this year, R’Bonney Nola Gabriel. In addition to her many other achievements, she is also a seamstress, an upcycler of denim and an advocate against domestic violence and human trafficking.
In the final interview round she was asked: “If you win Miss Universe, how would you work to demonstrate this as an empowering and progressive organization?”
“I would use it to be a transformational leader. As a very passionate designer, I’ve been sewing for 13 years, I use fashion as a force for good. In my industry, I’m cutting down on pollution through recycling materials when I make my clothing. I teach sewing classes to women that have survived from human trafficking and domestic violence. And I say that because it is so important to invest in others, invest in our community and use your unique talent to make a difference. We all have something special, and when we plant those seeds to other people in our life, we transform them and we use that as a vehicle for change,” she said.
I quickly did research to verify this and sure enough it is true! She is the leading sewing instructor at the Texas-based non-profit design house Magpies & Peacocks. magpiesandpeacocks.org
She describes herself as an eco-friendly fashion designer who “fell in love with constructing designs with fabrics and textiles” at 15 years old. She is also the CEO of her own sustainable clothing line, R’Bonney Nola. rbonneynola.com
Now she is a “beauty” queen that I can be proud of!
