Cover R’Bonney Nola Gabriel poses with models after her runway presentation (Photo: Bench)
R’Bonney Nola Gabriel poses with models after her runway presentation (Photo: Bench)
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She’s more than a pretty face and a heavy crown. Bench Fashion Week Holiday 2024 headliner R’Bonney Gabriel redefines fashion with a sustainable flair, incorporating her American-Filipino heritage into bold, upcycled ensembles
It’s moments before day one of Bench Fashion Week is scheduled to take place on the basement floor of its eponymous 22-story office building. While employees rush out to avoid the inevitable media frenzy, R’Bonney Nola Gabriel is clocked in at technical rehearsals mere hours before she is set to headline one of the metro’s most exclusive fashion shows. She is breathless and smiling as she strolls into our meeting space—a sunny, spacious conference room on the top floor. “Oh, I can see my apartment from here,” she exclaims before taking a seat at the head of the table.
She is kind enough to take a break from preparations downstairs for a quick chat. I was about to compliment an interesting-looking, sculptural ring on her finger before I realised it was a pin cushion, which she fiddles with throughout our conversation. Though busy, her eyeliner is sharp enough to cut glass and her long brown hair is styled and tousled to beach-appropriate proportions. “I just saw the looks on all the models for the first time,” she tells me. “I’m sure everything will go well. It’s just the typical show-day stress and nerves.”
Related: Bench Fashion Week Holiday 2024: The creative process on Chito Vijandre’s new collection
Above ‘How to Survive on Land and Sea’ is an ode to Gabriel's half-Filipino and half-American background (Photo: Bench)
Above Backstage at Bench Fashion Week Holiday 2024 (Photo: Bench)
‘How to Survive on Land and Sea’ is an ode to Gabriel's half-Filipino and half-American background (Photo: Bench)
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The Houston, Texas native caught the world’s attention in 2022 when she was crowned Miss Universe. Before that, she became the first contestant of Filipino descent to earn the title of Miss United States. Now, we find her four months into her big move to the Philippines. Half of that time has been spent preparing for this show.
She began forming her career aspirations around fashion fifteen years ago when she sewed her first dress. “I thought it was the coolest thing ever,” she enthuses. It had long been a childhood aspiration. Watching her mother use a sewing machine at home informed her first experiences with garments.
“[My family and I] would go to thrift stores where my mother would buy really big clothes and alter them down to my size,” she shares. A high school internship with a local fashion designer in Houston was her first step in “learning about the business,” and earlier days saw her making one-off and custom pieces to sell to clients, usually through word of mouth.
Read also: Miss Universe 2022 R’Bonney Gabriel talks about inclusivity, diversity and sustainable fashion
Above Chelsea Manalo dons one of R'Bonney Nola Gabriel's looks for Bench Fashion Week Holiday 2024 (Photo: Bench)
Above A model wears a deep blue ensemble by R'Bonney Nola Gabriel (Photo: Bench)
Chelsea Manalo dons one of R'Bonney Nola Gabriel's looks for Bench Fashion Week Holiday 2024 (Photo: Bench)
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A typical look from R’Bonney Nola Designs consists of deconstructed blazers, boxy shoulders, and “something upcycled”. Aspects of her childhood have seeped into her design vocabulary, which places sustainability as its driving force. Much of her inspiration comes from wandering around thrift stores, where she can find garments to “look at its potential and see what I can change about it,” she says.
According to Gabriel, “the designing begins at the ukay.” This involves sourcing end-of-season clothing from bins and reconstructing them with the help of their existing materials. “The ideas come to me as I’m playing [with these clothes] in my hands.” In constructing pieces, she tries to use as much material as possible, a challenge that allows her to reduce waste and rethink how she can assemble the overall look.
See also: Get to know Miss Universe 2022 R'Bonney Gabriel and her road to the crown
Above A deconstructed denim look complemented by a corseted top (Photo: Bench)
Above One of Gabriel's trademark motifs: a deconstructed cropped blazer (Photo: Bench)
A deconstructed denim look complemented by a corseted top (Photo: Bench)
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Her runway collection, lovingly dubbed ‘How to Survive on Land and Sea’, is an ode to her half-Filipino and half-American background. She named the line after a lounge situated near her old home in Texas. While ‘land’ refers to the United States, ‘sea’ refers to the Philippines’ oceans. It’s a mix of streetwear inspired by her girlhood in Houston and beachwear, so aptly, it’s steeped in hues of blue.
There’s a lot of deconstructed denim with raw, frayed edges, along with corsets and boning. Shells are heavily featured, many of which she collected from a trip to Siargao. The shells are painted with “three or four layers to create an iridescent look so that it could shine on the runway.” Of course, a deconstructed blazer makes an appearance, double-breasted and neatly cropped in a straight line right below the bust.
The busy past few months don’t seem to have taken a toll on Gabriel, who is gleeful as she describes her move to the Philippines as “extremely inspiring.” She credits this partly to the local fashion industry, which has embraced her with open arms. “There’s definitely a strong community here. Everybody’s just very eager to help each other,” she remarks. She also notes how it is much easier to source items and is curious about exploring various local manufacturing processes for her designs.
Above R'Bonney Gabriel struts down the Bench Fashion Week runway after her presentation (Photo: Bench)
R'Bonney Gabriel struts down the Bench Fashion Week runway after her presentation (Photo: Bench)
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Despite her popularity, she envisions her label as “small, independent and special”, where she releases up to two limited edition collections a year. It’s a decision made due to the upcycled nature of her pieces while she simultaneously balances her flourishing career as a host and model. As the hour closes, Gabriel heads back into the fray downstairs. Later, her collection will be met with roaring applause as Ben Chan hands her a bouquet. It is a sweet finale to two months of gruelling work, proof that she’s thriving—on land, at sea, and on the runway.
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About
Julianna has been interested in leading a literary life since she first read Frances Hodgson Burnett's A Little Princess at eight. Before working with Tatler, she was an archive intern at The Center for Fiction in Brooklyn, New York. She is a textbook Pisces who devotes most of her spare time to her crochet projects, watching classic films, and going through her never-ending pile of unread books. She studied creative writing, global literature and art history at Sarah Lawrence College, graduating with a Bachelor of Arts degree in 2022. Toni Morrison, Nora Ephron, Clarice Lispector and Jia Tolentino are among her all-time favourite writers.
Work
Julianna writes about fashion, beauty, sustainability, and the arts. She is always keen on conducting interviews with talented women who are changing the game in their respective fields.
For event invites and story leads, hit her up at julianna.cabili@tatlerasia.com
