The American R’Bonney Gabriel, was crowned this Saturday as Miss Universe 2022 in New Orleans. In this new stage of the traditional contest, the local representative will have the mission of being the face of the new stage of the organization focused on defending gender equity and women’s rights.
The first and second runner-up were chosen as Miss Venezuela, Amanda Dudamel, the daughter of the former goalkeeper and former coach of the soccer team of that country, and Miss Dominican Republic, Andreína Martínez, respectively. The three beauty queens they will have to dedicate a year to the contest and move to Thailandwhere the headquarters are from this year.
Before the parade of the semifinalists, the new owner of the Miss Universe Organization, the Thai billionaire Anne Jakkaphong Jakrajutatip, assured that this Saturday began “a new stage of Miss Universe, made by women for women” and recounted how she had “transformed pain ” of being rejected as a transgender woman on hits.
Under this new administration, the contest has accelerated the process leading to feminism and equity issues. For Miss Universe number 72, it has already been revealed that married candidates with children will be accepted, something vetoed until now. Gabriel said in his question and answer session that he would advocate raising the age limit for female candidates as well.
Before announcing the winner, the Miss Universe Organization revealed that the next edition, corresponding to 2023, will be held in El Salvador, through a video of the president of that country, Nayb Bukele.
The new Miss Universe, 28, is the ninth winner of the pageant for her country. Venezuela has won the crown seven times and the Dominican Republic once, in 2003.
Gabriel, was crowned by his predecessor, the Indian Harnaaz Sandhuwith the new Force for Good crown, which has 993 precious stones and a sapphire of 45.14 carats.
Valued at 5.3 million dollars, it is the most expensive crown in the 71-year history of the contest, who also gave it the first band made with recyclable materials.
This Miss Universe gala, which took place at the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center in New Orleans, in the southern United States, was held in 2023, but in reality the winner will hold the title of Miss Universe 2022because the contest was postponed so as not to compete with the World Cup in Qatar.
The new universal beauty queen is the first woman of Filipino origin to have achieved the title of Miss United States. His father, Remigio Bonzon “R. Bon” Gabriel, is a citizen of that Asian country who came to North America to study psychology at the University of Southern California. Her mother, Dana walker, is American.
The show that surrounded the election and the juries
Rapper and Hip-Hop singer Big Freedia, the band Big Sam’s Funky Nation, violinist Amanda Shaw, the group Tank and The Bangas and singer Yolanda Adams were in charge of the musical part of the ceremony, which was marked the Afro-French culture of the city and the typical country US.
Big Freedia was part of the jury, completed by the Cuban journalist and presenter Myrka Dellanos; Miss Universe 2010, the Mexican Ximena Navarrete; Roku enterprise executive Sweta Patel; Miss Universe 1998, Wendy Fitzwilliam; actress and journalist Emily Austin, and O Skin Med Spa founder and CEO Olivia Quido.
The new Miss Universe and the finalists stood out in a preliminary group of 16 semifinalists, among which were also the candidates from Puerto Rico, Curaçao, Spain, Haiti, Australia, Laos, South Africa, Portugal, Canada, Trinidad and Tobago, Curaçao, India and Columbia.
This group was selected based on the scores obtained during parades in gala and bathing suits, and individual interviews with the jury that had been carried out previously.
The Argentine representative
Bárbara Cabrera, 27, from Buenos Aires, fulfilled her dream of representing Argentina and competing with 85 other applicants from different countries, although failed to classify as one of the 16 semifinalists.
His seeding stage was auspicious. She managed to attract the attention of the jury in the pass in mesh covered with a cape that on her back carried the image of a woman with albiceleste birds that represent freedom.
The wardrobe chosen by Bárbara for the parade of the typical costume of the contestant country caused an impact: a tribute to the Iguazú Falls, which looked like a queen of a comparsa, made with recycled materials and in the center a rainbow as a recognition of the rights of the LGBTIQ+ community.
In her last post on Instagram, she could be seen with a piece created by the Venezuelan designer Dhey Galaviz that was inspired by the Perito Moreno glacier.
With information from EFE.
ES