R’Bonney Nola Talks About Her “Project Runway” Season 22 Experience

Following Veejay Floresca's historic win on the 21st season of Project Runway, Filipino fans of the hit design show were thrilled when the new season's roster of designers were announced. After all, among the 22 contestants is half Filipina R'Bonney Nola.

When the news dropped, the former Miss Universe expressed her excitement since it has been a dream of hers to take part in the competition. "From 16 years of sewing, and soooo many hours of watching Project Runway, I thought it was time to enter the workroom," she shared.

Kicking off the season was a twist where the 22 designers had to fight to secure a spot in the competition. For the first runway showcase, they were tasked to present their signature look. R'Bonney chose an upcycled denim coat and skirt that highlighted her passion for sustainability.

Unfortunately for R'Bonney, her journey on the show was cut short. She was among the six designers who got eliminated, following feedback from the judges that her look was too safe and was not inspiring enough.

R'Bonney took to Instagram to open up about her elimination, revealing that she felt a lot of anxiety during the episode. She also acknowledged that she put herself in that position, citing that she made a bad decision in choosing the design she sent down the runway.

Moving forward, the designer and beauty queen reminded herself and everyone that setbacks in life can be reframed as opportunities. "Entering Project Runway was a devastating and humbling experience and definitely did not go as well as I was hoping for. But as disappointed as I am, I’m only looking forward to investing more into my craft and building my brand," said R'Bonney.