71st Miss Universe R'Bonney Gabriel partners with Queenly to donate iconic dresses
The Miss Universe Organization (MUO) is excited to announce a partnership with formalwear marketplace Queenly and Miss Universe 2022 R'Bonney Gabriel.
MUO and R'Bonney have officially donated many of the iconic outfits from her reign as Miss Universe to be sold on Queenly's platform, with the proceeds donated to Houston’s Magpies and Peacocks.
Her dresses are available to the public at queenly.com or on the Queenly app for purchase prices ranging from $300 to $600 and come from designers such as Nicole Miller and BCBG. The sustainable fashion designer is listing one of her own designs.
Queenly and R'Bonney are a perfect fit as she continues her mission as a sustainable fashion leader, inspiring others to make environmentally-friendly choices, one step at a time. In addition to offering dresses for every kind of event from sorority formals, and quinceañeras to weddings, Queenly is known for being an accessible and inclusive destination for all types of formal and pageant wear with a wide range of sizes, styles, designers, and price points.
By purchasing one of the gowns, buyers will be supporting circular fashion and breaking down the barriers of access to formalwear that’s usually expensive and only available through exclusive channels offline. Aspiring designers may also find inspiration for altering and upcycling gowns like R'Bonney herself, who is known for deconstructing and bringing new life to vintage and used clothing.
"I am always telling others, and myself, 'If not now, then when?" she said. "Queenly is the perfect first step for women who want to shop sustainable fashion and make a difference. I'm so excited to be able to share these dresses, which are a part of so many joyful memories."
Queenly is available on both the Apple App Store and Google Play for anyone looking to shop sustainable formalwear and all kinds of dresses.
Founded in 2019, Queenly has quickly acquired over 1M+ users on their platform, expanded into the Canadian market earlier this year, and signed on with over 50 retail partners, including Mac Duggal, Vienna Prom, Terani Couture, Portia & Scarlett, and more.
In previous years, Queenly had recently partnered with Netflix, Fever, and Miss USA as it continues to expand its footprint within the secondhand and formalwear markets.
"We are excited to deepen our partnership with R'Bonney and the Miss Universe Organization, in order to promote our shared mission of sustainable fashion, women empowerment through owning your confidence, and now, true inclusivity within the pageant industry," said Trisha Bantigue, CEO and co-founder of Queenly.
"At our core, we are working to democratize the formalwear space through our technology by providing access, convenience, and affordability that hasn’t been available before."
As a native Texan, R'Bonney was working with Magpies and Peacocks as a sewing instructor before she won the 71st Miss Universe title. They are a Houston-based non-profit design house dedicated to the collection and sustainable reuse of post-consumer clothing.
On November 18, she crowned her successor Sheynnis Palacios of Nicaragua at the culmination of the Miss Universe 2023 competition which was held in San Salvador, El Salvador.
As R'Bonney takes the next steps in her career, this partnership with Queenly has provided an ideal opportunity to give back to her community.
Photos: Queenly.com, Miss Universe / Instagram
