Nguyễn Cao Kỳ Duyên (model)

Nguyễn Cao Kỳ Duyên
Born	(1996-11-13) 13 November 1996 (age 28) Nam Định, Vietnam
Alma mater	Foreign Trade University
Height	1.73 m (5 ft 8 in)[citation needed]
Beauty pageant titleholder
Title	Miss Vietnam 2014 Miss Universe Vietnam 2024
Hair color	Black[citation needed]
Eye color	Brown[citation needed]
Major competition(s)	Miss Vietnam 2014 (Winner) Miss Universe Vietnam 2024 (Winner) Miss Universe 2024 (Top 30)

Nguyễn Cao Kỳ Duyên (born 13 November 1996) is a Vietnamese model, actress, and beauty pageant titleholder, she won Miss Vietnam 2014^[1] and Miss Universe Vietnam 2024. She represented her country at Miss Universe 2024 in Mexico City, Mexico on 14 November 2024.

Kỳ Duyên was born in Nam Định. Her parents run a bridal shop, and her older brother is an IT engineer. Due to her parents admiration for the overseas TV presenter and entertainer Nguyễn Cao Kỳ Duyên, they decided to name her after the artist. She started learning French in fourth grade, later becoming a student in the French specialized class at Trần Đăng Ninh Middle School and later at Lê Hồng Phong High School for the Gifted. In 2014, she was admitted to the Foreign Trade University with a high score. At the time however, she competed in Miss Vietnam 2014, so she dropped out to follow her professional model career.^[2][3]

Kỳ Duyên won Miss Vietnam 2014, and also won the Miss Beach special award.^[4] In the 2014 Miss Vietnam pageant, she also won the “Miss Beach” prize. She was described as confident, eager to learn, and skilled in communication and etiquette. After her victory, there was some controversy over her Miss Vietnam title. Some people expressed dissatisfaction, believing she didn’t deserve the crown compared to the First Runner-up Nguyễn Trần Huyền My. Others supported Kỳ Duyên, appreciating her well-proportioned physique and youthful appearance.

The Second Runner-up of the pageant, Nguyễn Lâm Diễm Trang, also commented positively about Kỳ Duyên:

“I think the Miss Vietnam title was well-deserved. She is academically gifted, with a high university entrance score, attended a prestigious school, and has a clean background. Her height and beauty are also impressive.”

After the pageant, the judging panel received questions questioning the audience’s belief in the title. Head of the judging panel, Mr. Lê Cảnh Nhạc, stated that the judging process was strict from the preliminary rounds to the final night. Contestants’ scores were based on multiple rounds, including face-to-face assessments, side competitions, and the contestants’ performances in the finale. He explained that judges were familiar with contestants from the beginning and only the panel had access to specific body measurements and scores.

“The audience only sees the contestants under stage lights, while the judges interact with the contestants over an extended period from the preliminaries to the finals. We affirm that the final result is entirely deserving and fair,” Mr. Nhạc asserted.

^[5]

On December 20, 2014, Kỳ Duyên gave a speech in French to students at the Foreign Trade University. However, viewers criticized her French, claiming she made frequent errors and had poor pronunciation, despite studying French for seven years in high school and specializing in it. In 2016, Kỳ Duyên received an invitation to represent Vietnam in the Miss Earth Vietnam competition, but she declined due to various controversies at the time. After winning the title, Kỳ Duyên became involved in several scandals regarding her behavior, including arriving late to press conferences, being caught smoking in a café, and being seen intoxicated after drinking too much alcohol at a bar. On August 5, 2016, Tiền Phong, the unit responsible for organizing the Miss Vietnam 2014 contest, issued a disciplinary decision by reprimanding Kỳ Duyên for ‘smoking in public places’. According to this decision, Kỳ Duyên was allowed to keep her crown, but all images of her representing the Miss Vietnam contest would be removed on their website, and she would not be allowed to participate in any programs related to the 2016 Miss Vietnam finale. Additionally, she was stripped of the right to crown the new Miss Vietnam, and instead, the head of the organizing committee, Lê Xuân Sơn, and Phạm Thị Kim Dung, CEO of the co-organizing company Sen Vàng, would carry out this duty.

In 2017, she proactively expressed her desire to represent Vietnam in international competitions, specifically Miss World or Miss Universe, but her request was not accepted. After being involved in previous scandals, her fashion modeling career experienced significant growth starting in early 2018, gaining recognition from the public. Although she was not a professional model initially, her charismatic demeanor earned her the trust of many top local designers, who gave her the lead position in their fashion shows. She participated in several fashion events, such as serving as a coach for The Look 2017 and Vietnam Supermodel 2018. She was also invited to become a coach for Miss Vietnam Sports 2022 and The Face Vietnam 2023, alongside supermodel Minh Triệu. Additionally, she ventured into acting with her debut role in the film The Quartet of Revenge by Trấn Thành.^[6]

In 2024, Kỳ Duyên announced her registration to compete in Miss Universe Vietnam 2024, which attracted media attention. She won the title and became the first to win both Miss Vietnam 2014 and Miss Universe Vietnam 2024. On stage, she also shared that she would immediately donate 500 million VND from her prize money to support the people of Vietnam affected by Typhoon Yagi (2024).

As Miss Universe Vietnam 2024, Kỳ Duyên represented the country at Miss Universe 2024, held on November 16 in Mexico City, Mexico, where she placed in the Top 30.^{[7][8][9][10]}

• The 4 Rascals (2025)

Awards and achievements
Preceded by Đặng Thu Thảo	Miss Vietnam 2014	Succeeded by Đỗ Mỹ Linh
Preceded by Isabella García-Manzo	3rd Placed Best National Costume Miss Universe 2024	Succeeded by Incumbent
Preceded by Bùi Quỳnh Hoa	Miss Universe Vietnam 2024	Succeeded by Incumbent