Two Pasifika Queens Light Up Miss France 2026
Hinaupoko Devèze of Tahiti takes the crown, with Julie Collet of Kanaky (New Caledonia) as first runner-up — a double win for the Moana.
The Pacific is celebrating this week as two young Polynesian women stepped into the global spotlight at the Miss France 2026 pageant — and walked away with the top two titles.
On Saturday (local time in France), 23-year-old Hinaupoko Devèze, Miss Tahiti 2025, was crowned Miss France 2026 in Amiens. Standing right beside her in the final results was another daughter of the Moana — Julie Collet, Miss New Caledonia 2025, named first runner-up.
For many across the Pacific, this felt like more than a pageant result, it felt like a moment of collective pride — a celebration of Pacific beauty, culture, and identity shining on a European national stage.
Hinaupoko Devèze, a psychology graduate with roots in the Marquesan island of Ua Pou, carried the mana of her tūpuna with her as she stood before millions of viewers.
Her win set off eruptions of joy across communities in Nuku Hiva and Tahiti where public screenings were held with families and fans cheering through tears and celebrations as Hinaupoko’s name was called.
French Polynesia’s President Moetai Brotherson summed up the mood beautifully:
“We’re on top of the world. She is perfect, a superb representative of our country.”
This marks the sixth time a young woman from Tahiti has won Miss France — continuing a legacy of Polynesian queens who have carried the title with pride since the 1970s.
Despite the identified problems with pageant culture and its focus on often outmoded ideas of 'beauty', pageants are still hugely popular in the Pacific - from regional events like Miss South Pacific to international stages. For these pageant dire hards, to see Polynesian women dominate a major European pageant can be a reminder our global presence, our cultural pride and Pacific women navigating multiple worlds
Hinaupoko joins a long line of Polynesian wāhine toa who have stood on the Miss France stage and carried the Moana with them.
French Polynesia’s queens who have worn the Miss France crown:
- Edna Tepava (1974)
- Thilda Fuller (1980)
- Mareva Georges (1991)
- Mareva Galanter (1999)
- Vaimalama Chaves (2019)
- Hinaupoko Devèze (2026)
Two Polynesian women shining at the top of one of Europe’s most-watched cultural events is a reminder that our stories, our faces, and our voices belong everywhere.
As Hinaupoko and Julie stood together under the bright lights of the Miss France stage, they carried with them not just crowns — but the pride of our island nations.
Coco-congratulations to our Pacific queens!
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