Miss New Zealand Franki Russell/MISS COSMO FACEBOOK PHOTOS
MANILA, Philippines – Filipino-Kiwi actress Franki Russell’s Miss Cosmo 2024 journey may have ended with her Top 21 entry, but she will still bring home a distinction from the international pageant to New Zealand, the country she is representing.
The former “Pinoy Big Brother” housemate was proclaimed as “Best in National Costume” in the pageant’s finale show at the Saigon Riverside Park in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, Saturday night, Oct. 5.
She edged out Cambodia’s Leakena In and Nigeria’s Blessing Tamilade Alimi, who were both in the Top 3 for the category.
During the national costume show held at the Thung Nham Ecotourism Area in the Hao Lu district of the northern Vietnamese province of Ninh Binh on Sept. 19, Russell paraded a slinky and shimmery black costume inspired by New Zealand’s national bird, the kiwi.
The costume incorporated huge wings and a stylized head piece. She also wore a black cape that carried the statement “You are Worthy” emblazoned in huge white print at the back.
“I want to inspire others to chase their dreams and not be discouraged by setbacks or rejections,” Russell said in a post shared on the Miss Cosmo New Zealand Instagram account.
“Every journey has its hurdles, but persistence is key. We must continue to fight for what we believe in,” she continued in the post, that also included images of her national costume.
The winning costume is a creation of Filipino designer Simeon Cayetano, a male pageant contestant who previously competed in the Misters of Filipinas contest.
This is the first staging of the Vietnam-based international competition. The Philippines is represented by pageant veteran Ahtisa Manalo, who is still in contention for the crown as of this writing.