Miss World 2026: Dominican Republic's Joheirry Mola Wins 73rd Pageant in Vietnam

• Miss World crowned its 2026 winner at the grand finale of the 73rd competition held in Vietnam on Saturday, September 5
• Ugandan delegate Elle Muhoza turned heads during the preliminaries with a C-section-inspired gown by designer Keesha Abdallah
• Outgoing titleholder Suchata Chuangsri of Thailand was present to pass on the crown, having made history as the first Thai Miss World winner

The Miss World Organisation has a new titleholder. Joheirry Mola of the Dominican Republic was crowned the winner of the 73rd Miss World pageant on Saturday, 5 September, at the grand finale held in Vietnam.

Dominican Republic's Joheirry Mola wins 73rd Miss World

Joheirry Mola Dominguez of the Dominican Republic has been crowned Miss World 2026. She won the prestigious title at the grand finale held in Nha Trang, Vietnam, on September 5, 2026, competing against contestants from 111 countries. PPeople.com+1

Mola, 24, is a graduate of the Universidad Iberoamericana and works as a model, educator and television correspondent. Her social-impact initiative, “Voices of Tomorrow,” focuses on teaching English to young people from vulnerable communities. Her victory marks the Dominican Republic’s second Miss World crown, following Mariasela Álvarez’s win in 1982. Elisabeth Reynes of Spain claimed first runner-up, while Taanusiya Chetty of Malaysia finished as second runner-up.

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Miss World marked the occasion by posting a photo of the three women on Instagram, alongside a video of Mola beaming and waving from a flower-covered throne, surrounded by fellow contestants.

The Instagram videos are below:

Ugandan delegate's C-section gown steals the show

Before the crowning moment, the competition generated buzz during the preliminary rounds thanks to a striking fashion statement from Uganda's representative, Elle Muhoza.

She stepped out in a custom creation by designer Keesha Abdallah titled "The Layers of Life," a gown constructed to reflect the seven anatomical layers a surgeon cuts through during a caesarean section.

The piece incorporated white, yellow, pink and red fabrics, each colour selected to correspond with a specific layer: skin, fat, fascia, rectus muscles, peritoneum, uterine muscle and the amniotic sac.

Abdallah explained the thinking behind the design on Instagram.

"The concept was inspired by the layers encountered during a C-section and, more broadly, by the extraordinary journey of bringing life into the world," the designer wrote. "Each color and layer was chosen to represent a stage, a texture, or a transition within that story — not to represent a particular race."

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The Instagram photos are below:

Suchata Chuangsri crowns her successor

Outgoing champion Suchata Chuangsri of Thailand was on hand to place the crown on Mola's head, completing her reign after a landmark year. Chuangsri made history in 2025 when she became the first Thai woman to win the Miss World title, taking the crown at the 72nd edition held in Hyderabad, India, on 31 May. She was 21 at the time and received her tiara from Miss World 2023, Krystyna Pyszková of the Czech Republic. Hasset Dereje Admassu of Ethiopia had finished as her first runner-up.

The Instagram photos are below:

Source: YEN.com.gh