Miss Hong Kong 2021 (2021香港小姐競選) ended on 12th September with a proper bang. However, as in any competition, there can only be one winner. This year’s crowned champion was Sabrina Mendes (宋宛穎), knocking Carina Leung (梁凱晴) to first runner up, and Kristy Shaw (邵初) to second runner up. Fabienne Kwan (關楓馨) took fourth place with Cathy Wong (王嘉慧) taking fifth.
Both Carina and Fabienne may not have been crowned Miss Hong Kong, but the duo are content with it. After all, the pageant isn’t all there is to life.
When the pageant started, Fabienne was a crowd favourite to win. As the daughter of Hong Kong actor Eddie Kwan, she was fairly well-known already. The 26-year-old graduated from the University of Southampton in Education and later studied for a master’s degree in University College London (UCL). She majored in children’s rights. Fabienne later began a business selling vegan cinnamon rolls which were baked by her. Apparently, she had been persuaded to join the pageant two years ago, but her father had hoped she would finish her studies first.
Unfortunately, Fabienne was placed fourth overall in the pageant. The 26-year-old later stated she was not disappointed. Instead, she was happy she made it to the top five. “I’m not as eloquent as the others, I choked when answering questions,” she said. “As I wasn’t as good as the others while answering, I was convinced I would lose.”
According to Hong Kong’s media, Fabienne explained that Eddie had left shortly after the pageant ended to prepare a celebration for her. She thanked her parents for their support, saying, “They told me to just be myself without overthinking it. I did (my best) and I won’t regret it.” Fabienne also indicated that she hoped to join the entertainment industry. “If I have a chance in the future, I hope I can try it (out),” she said. For now however, she will be developing her acting skills as she hopes to appear on-screen with her father.
First runner up Carina was fairly popular with her fresh temperament and sweet smile. There had been remarks that she looked a lot like Taiwanese star Charlie Yeung (杨采妮). The 26-year-old graduated from the University of Surrey in Hotel Management and later from the University of Hong Kong with a master’s degree in marketing. As she wanted to expand her horizons while still young, she’d opted to participate in the yearly pageant.
Although there were high hopes she would be crowned Miss Hong Kong, the title ultimately went to Sabrina. When asked if she was disappointed, Clarina denied it, citing she may just be tired from the show. “Everyone performed very well,” she stated. “I didn’t think (much about it), I just wanted to be myself.” Carina’s followers on Instagram shot up from over 1000 to about 6,500 after the competition.
According to netizens, Carina was the most beautiful at the pageant. “The champion and third place are too Thai,” one comment said. “The second place (Carina) is more in line with Chinese aesthetics.” Others agreed, saying,: “The runner-up is Hong Kong style at first sight,” and “The runner-up is a Chinese beauty, it would be better if she had black hair.”
There are also those who think Sabrina has “the appearance of Southeast Asia”. “The champion looks pretty much in line with the appearance of Miss Hong Kong over the years,” one stated. Another comment observed that the winners of Miss Hong Kong from 2020 and 2021 look alike. “They are all more exotic,” they said.
Although not all netizens are satisfied, the finalists themselves have come to terms with their standings. Currently, Fabienne and Carina are looking forward to their future without letting this bog them down. We hope to hear more of them in the future!
Sources: Xuan (1)(2), China Press
