The new crown of the Miss Universe pageant belongs to United States Representative R’Bonney Gabriel, who emerged victorious from the 71st edition of the pageant. The sovereign received the scepter from the hands of Harnaaz Sandhu, Miss Universe 2021 from India.
The first runner-up was Miss Venezuela, Amanda Dudamel, and the second, Miss Dominican Republic, Andreína Martínez.
Miss USA came out on top on the final question: If you were to become Miss Universe, how would you work to show that this is an empowering and progressive organization? “I would use it to be a transformative leader. As a passionate designer, I have been sewing for 13 years. I use fashion as a force for good. In my line of work, I reduce pollution from recycled materials when making my clothes,” he said. “I teach sewing classes for women trafficking and domestic violence survivors and I say this because it is so important to invest in others, invest in our community and make a difference with your unique talents. We all have something special and when we sow those seeds with other people in our lives, we transform them and use them as vehicles for change,” he continued.
Puerto Rican Ashley Ann Cariño managed to place herself among the five finalists in the competition held Saturday night at the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center in the city of New Orleans, Louisiana.
he showed himself
For the fifth year in a row, Puerto Rico manages to place itself in the finalists table. Ashley Ann Cariño’s attributes and projection on the runway earned her the success of being included in the Top 5.
In written statements, Miss Universe Puerto Rico manager Yizette Cifredo praised the Puerto Rican’s performance in the election. “The pride and excitement I feel for Ashley’s achievement is beyond words. She is an extraordinary woman who has given everything and more since she began her facet as a Miss Universe Puerto Rico contestant. She looked flawless throughout the international competition and stood out even more in the final. All of Puerto Rico should be proud of its queen. I say it and I reaffirm it: Ashley has it all.”
Jorge Hidalgo, President and General Manager of WAPA TV, owner of the local franchise, also expressed his congratulations. “Ashley is a beautiful, intelligent woman with a great personality. We congratulate her and are very proud of her for representing her country with such pride and commitment. We also thank Yizette Cifredo and the entire team, both from the franchise and from the employees who were part of their preparation.”
As in Wednesday’s preliminary round, Cariño dazzled in a swimsuit with the cape designed by Puerto Rican artist Isabela Mellado, a colorful creation with the message “Be and Let It Be” inspired by the message “to be authentically you.”
For the evening dress option, the Puerto Rican beauty repeated the creation of renowned Puerto Rican designer Carlos Alberto, but with a few changes. Unlike the prelim event, the sleek outfit featured a front slit that allowed her to project more confidence while walking. Crafted from mesh, the stunning gown features a deep V-neckline, is hand-embroidered and features an imperial-royal collar.
The group of semi-finalists consisted of the candidates from Puerto Rico, Haiti, Australia, Dominican Republic, Laos, South Africa, Portugal, Canada, Peru, Trinidad & Tobago, Curaçao, India, Venezuela, Spain, the United States and Miss Colombia.
The event began with an exuberant presentation of all the candidates, dressed in mini dresses, to the festive rhythm of New Orleans.
With a powerful message of self-esteem, the issue underscored its opposition to cyberbullying or virtual harassment, urging candidates and everyone else to ignore criticism common on social media. Harnaaz Sandhu, Miss Universe 2021, gave her testimony after being criticized for gaining weight.
Following the takeover of the organization by Thai transgender tycoon Anne Jakkaphong Jakrajutatip last year, this edition marked the beginning of a period of change. One of them is that the three finalists – and not just the winner – will move to Thailand in the current year.
Also, the new Miss Universe will wear a crown called Force for Good. The play is valued at $5.3 million, making it the most expensive in the competition’s history. The creation consists of 993 precious stones, a base of diamonds and a sapphire of 45.14 carats at the top. It was founded by the Mouawad company of Lebanese businessman Fred Mouawad, who is said to be the eighth richest diamond owner in the world.
As part of her interest, the businesswoman has consistently shared statements of motivation and empowerment for the candidates throughout her stay in New Orleans during her interactions with delegates.
Before presenting Miss Thailand, Anna Sueangam-iam, with the “Leadership Award” for her story of overcoming, the businesswoman gave testimony about how hard it is to be a victim of bullying during her upbringing and how she has changed over time for “don’t give up” and “transform sadness into power and life lessons into wisdom”. The intention was also to break with the image of a woman seen as an object and instead to “celebrate power, femininity, cultural diversity, social inclusion and gender equality”.
On the other hand, April Simpkins took the floor to issue a call to take care of mental health, motivated by her late daughter Cheslie Kryst, Miss USA 2019. The former beauty queen took her own life in January last year. Simpkins called on everyone struggling with depression and emotional difficulties to speak up and break the stigma of mental disorders.
It was also announced during the event that El Salvador will be the host country of Miss Universe 2023.
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