R'Bonney Gabriel on being eliminated from 'Project Runway': 'It's embarrassing to be rejected'
R'Bonney Gabriel shared her feelings after been eliminated from Project Runway Season 22.
In a Facebook video, the Filipino-American fashion designer opened up about her elimination from the newly premiered design competition, admitting she was upset but "not super surprised."
"When I got cut from the competition, in that judging room, my heart sank. I couldn't believe it was happening. But at the same time, I was not super surprised," she recalled. "All day that day, I had a lot of anxiety. This terrible feeling that I was not safe to stay in the competition. I kept it in my head but I was really trying to convince myself that maybe there's a glimmer of hope when I got to the bottom two."
Gabriel said she was "so devastated" and started crying when she went back to the workroom. While the designer said she rarely cries in front of the camera, she could not help it at that time.
"I had all these dreams of the success that could come from competing on this show. The opportunity to have FaceTime witht he host, be immersed in the design room for a long period of time without any other distractions—I was fantasizing about that. And it got cut so short," she said.
Gabriel admitted that she "feel so frustrated" and "mad" at herself for puting herself in that position. She said she made a "bad decision" on the design that she brought.
"I feel like I just didn't understand the assignment, I feel like the biggest idiot," she opened. "If I could do it all over again, I would bring a different piece... I've been sewing for 15-16 years, and there are so many other pieces I could have brought that show my skill or pieces that they took a really long time but I brought I brought a piece that was one of my most recent and that I was just so obsessed with."
The former Miss Universe queen admitted that it is "embarrassing to be rejected."
"I've had a few days now to process it. This is really an eye-opening experience for me as a designer," she noted.
"I've dedicated a lot of time to sewing but I would say these last three years I've done so many other things in my career that I haven't been solely focused on design."
She said that the she feels a little insecure after the elimination and the experience made her question herself as a designer. However, she is still hopeful and will take this as a lesson.
"But I'm gonna take this as a learning lesson. I just want to dedicate more time to my craft and my fashion business.and I wanna continue to improve on that," Gabriel ended her video.
During the episode, host Heidi Klum challenged the contestants to create a “Redemption Look” that showcased their “personal style under pressure and on a budget.” Each designer was given $500 and just one day to complete the piece.
In the end, Gabriel was eliminated, together with Plane Jane, Robby Crone.
Gabriel won the 2022 Miss Universe crown. Aside from pageantry, she studied fashion with a minor in fibers at the University of North Texas. She has her own label, R'Bonney Nola, which uses sustainable materials to make eco-friendly clothing.
The winner of Season 22 will take home $200,000, a fashion editorial in Elle magazine, a mentorship with the Council of Fashion Designers of America and professional representation to launch their brand.
