Indira Ampiot represented France at the Miss World Top Model Challenge fashion show in Vietnam on Tuesday, August 18. The 21 year old Guadeloupe native walked the runway alongside 110 other international contestants as part of the Vietnam Beauty Fashion Fest.
The runway event serves as one of the major preliminary competitions of the Miss World 2026 pageant. Securing a victory or a top position in the challenge allows a contestant to advance directly into the top 40 finalists for the main pageant finale on September 5.
Spectators at the fashion fest had to wait until the end of the show to see Miss France 2023 take the stage. Wearing an imposing headpiece, Ampiot made a strong impression in a dress created by Vietnamese designer La Sen Vû, who provided outfits for several of the contestants participating in the Tuesday event.
Following the show, Ampiot shared a video clip of her runway presentation on Instagram. She captioned the video in English, writing that she thanked everyone for their support.
Catwalk performance and expert analysis
Catwalk instructor Ritchy Cobral, who has trained Miss Guadeloupe contestants for several years, offered a detailed assessment of her presentation in a series of Instagram stories. Cobral described her performance as a successful exercise and indicated that he was overall quite satisfied with what his student delivered on the runway.
Cobral highlighted the distinction between competing in a beauty pageant and walking for a fashion designer. He explained that in a pageant, contestants work to showcase their personal character and charisma, whereas in a designer showcase, the focus must shift to highlighting the clothing creation itself.
Analyzing her movement, Cobral noted that Ampiot kept a fixed gaze and adopted a relaxed, almost nonchalant posture suited to high fashion. She walked without arching her back, without an open solar plexus, and without head nodding or theatrical gestures, matching the requirements of the outfit and artistic direction.
The trainer recalled similar feedback he gave following the opening ceremony, where he noted that the showgirl style Ampiot displayed during the Miss Universe pageant was not appropriate for Miss World. Cobral joked that although he felt like tapping her hands with his stick during preparation, he was hyper satisfied with her energy transition between pageant contestant and fashion model, concluding his critique by enthusiastically praising France.
French pageant history and next steps
France has a strong record in the Miss World Top Model Challenge. Former Miss France Maëva Coucke won the preliminary fashion competition in 2018, setting a precedent for French contestants in the international event.
Ampiot won the Miss France title in 2023 after first winning the regional crown in Guadeloupe, an overseas department of France located in the Caribbean. Prior to the runway show, Ampiot also presented her official video portrait for Miss World 2026, which she created with assistance from her family.
Organisers did not publish the judges' scores or results immediately after the fashion show, leaving Ampiot and her supporters waiting to learn her official placement. Contestants will continue participating in preliminary activities in Vietnam leading up to the final coronation ceremony on September 5.
