Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, January 18) — Miss Universe 2022 R’Bonney Gabriel shared the story behind her 30-pound “Woman on the Moon” national costume created by a Filipino designer.
Speaking to CNN Philippines on Wednesday, Gabriel said the costume was a piece by designer Patrick Isorena whom she has worked with before.
Gabriel’s costume featured an all-silver one piece, and boots, with a giant moon and stars at the back.
“That was so heavy, but so worth it,” she said. “I wanted to go big for this costume.”
Gabriel said the costume was finished only a week before the competition, so shipping it to the United States would be expensive.
“My parents after Christmas they flew from Houston to the Philippines to pick up the costume and then flew back to bring it just in time so they are the real heroes in this scenario,” Gabriel said.
She also explained the message behind her striking national costume.
“It’s celebrating woman on the moon because here in America we are working on sending the first woman to the moon,” the Fil-Am beauty queen said.
In a social media post prior to the Miss Universe finals, Gabriel said “the purpose of this costume was to inspire women in all spaces across the universe to dream big, shoot for the moon and achieve something out of this world.”
She also said she is a proud Houston-native where the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) space center is located and is currently working to send the first female to the moon.
