Indira Ampiot secured a place in the top 40 at Miss World 2026 after winning the European section of the Top Model Challenge on Thursday, August 27.
The 21-year-old Guadeloupean contestant, who won the Miss France 2023 title, also earned the Fashion Designer Award among the 14 European candidates remaining in the competition in Vietnam.
Judges presented the design award for a white ensemble combining a skirt and corset created by French designer Anaïs Ricard. Ampiot shared her excitement on social media, writing that they had succeeded and praising the garment for expressing the vision of a strong, confident woman.
Ampiot said she particularly liked the contrast between the structure of the duchess satin corset, the cotton poplin shirt, and the fluid tulle train. She described the outfit as creating a silhouette that felt simultaneously powerful, feminine, and architectural.
Runway performance in Vietnam
The final of the Top Model Challenge took place in Vietnam, where contestants walked the stage in the manner of a high fashion runway show. Ampiot presented two looks during the event, appearing first in a long white backless dress and later in a cream dress with fine straps, touching her hair with her hand as she reached the end of the catwalk.
Her runway walk drew approval from her catwalk coach, Ritchy Cobral, who joked on his Instagram story that Ampiot was serious and chose not to smile with her eyes. Cobral added that he fully validated the initial outfit worn by the contestant.
Miss World qualifying format
Miss World is an annual international beauty pageant that selects continental winners across four regional groups: Europe, the Americas and Caribbean, Asia and Oceania, and Africa. Victory in a continental category of the Top Model Challenge grants direct entry into the top 40 quarter-finals ahead of the main final on September 5.
Ampiot is the second French participant to claim victory in the qualifier, following Maëva Coucke from northern France, who won the same preliminary event during her Miss World campaign in 2018.
Public voting and French contestants
In addition to her success on the runway, Ampiot continues to lead the public voting leaderboard. The public vote serves as another direct route for contestants to secure a place in the quarter-final stage of the pageant.
Two other French contestants took part in the Top Model Challenge. Audrey Ho-Wen-Tsai, representing the South American overseas region as Miss French Guiana, reached the top five in the Americas and Caribbean category. Laurence Fibleuil, competing as Miss Martinique from the Caribbean, did not advance in the competition.
With her place in the top 40 confirmed, Ampiot will prepare for the Miss World final scheduled for September 5.
