For the second episode of “Drag Race Philippines” season 3, the show tasked its roster of Filipino drag artists to merge fashion with eco-consciousness through its Sustaina-ball challenge. To do that, the queens produced runway looks using trash materials, a nod to the infamous “trash” comments in the show’s ball challenges in its past editions.
Apart from the Filipino drag queens, also getting in the spirit of the challenge was the episode’s guest judge, Miss Universe 2022 R'Bonney Gabriel. While she made her mark as the ninth queen to bring home the crown to the US, the Fil-Am beauty queen is also known for being a sustainable fashion designer, making her the perfect judge for this week’s episode.
On the show, R’Bonney presented her design prowess by creating an outfit from scratch. According to her, the look was made with unconventional materials, from the upcycled blazer and boots to hair accessory. What made it even more special, the ensemble also featured fan mail she received in the past year.
“[It showcased the] letters and fan mail that I received last year. I kept them all in a box last year and mix and matched them using a mod podge technique to put throughout the whole look,” R’Bonney told Manila Bulletin Lifestyle. “I wanted to show my appreciation for that by incorporating those letters into the outfit and make a playful look with pops of color.”
R’Bonney also wanted to pay homage to drag as an art form through her look. She stated, “As an ode to the creativity of drag queens and all the work they put into creating each of their looks, I wanted to create my own look as well.”
“[It was] such a fun experience,” she described her time as a guest judge. “We filmed for a whole day, and it was so nice to see how a whole filming day worked and see the queens and the looks they made was inspiring. I'm honored to be a guest judge.”
At age 15, R’Bonney has been fascinated by the power of design. Her passion for sustainable fashion can be traced back to her mother, who sewn pieces for her and her brother using vintage and thrift store pieces.
“I’m kind of wondering what is my purpose in the fashion industry and how can I make a difference and contribute back to society besides just making beautiful clothes,” she told Style Weekend in a past interview. “I learned that there’s an issue of pollution in the fashion industry. I've been reconstructing clothing already from pieces I found in vintage stores and thrift shops. I can use my craft as a way to cut down on pollution in the industry if I’m using old materials that people are throwing away. That was kind of an aha moment for me. I can push sustainability forward as a fashion designer.”
Currently, R’Bonney is preparing for her first fashion show in the Philippines. She is set to showcase a collection on Aug. 30. 2024, at the Bench Fashion Week Holiday 2024.
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