R'Bonney Gabriel on low rank in 'Project Runway' debut: 'I was tearing up'

R’Bonney Gabriel took to Facebook to open up about her rough start on “Project Runway” Season 22.

In her video, the beauty queen and sustainable fashion designer talked about her upcycled denim look for the first episode, a hooded jacket paired with a mini skirt.

R’Bonney brought the look to the show, and said she made the outfit for a workshop where she taught sewing classes to San Francisco youth.

“The design means so much to me because it represents how much I love teaching sewing workshops and how much I love partnering with communities and just sharing my love for the arts,” R’Bonney said in her video. “Teaching others to be creative is so important.”

R’Bonney said she had second thoughts about bringing the outfit, especially since she will be showing it to the judges for the first time. She also said she was “a little bit embarrassed” at her choice as it was her introduction to the judges.

“It was a decision I made really quickly as I was preparing to go on to the season of ‘Project Runway,’” she said.

However, the judges were not impressed and R’Bonney landed in the bottom.

“Not gonna lie, I was doubting the decision I made. Why didn’t I bring something maybe a little bit more impressive?” she said.

“I just told myself, ‘when you stand in front of the judges, just hold yourself high, girl. Make eye contact with the judges, speak clearly,’” R’Bonney added. “I was tearing up. I don’t even cry that much.”

R’Bonney said that if she could do it all over again, she would have presented another design, but she still has no regrets. She said she learned from it and accepts the judges’ feedback.

R’Bonney announced in May that she made it to the cast of “Project Runway” Season 22.

She often makes fashion pieces from sustainable materials and traditional fabrics like the inaul from Sultan Kudarat.

R’Bonney made history in 2022 as the first Filipino-American to win Miss Universe. She has a Filipino father and American mother, and represented Texas in the Miss USA pageant. —Nika Roque/JCB, GMA News