Zion Tamang and Suman Shrestha, titleholders from 2026, join 2025 winners Yogesh Sharma and Sadikshya Shrestha to represent Nepal at the Asia Model Festival in South Korea.
They Won Face of Nepal a Year Apart. Now They’re Heading to South Korea Together
Zion Tamang and Suman Shrestha earned their Face of Nepal titles on a runway in Lalitpur in September. Just over two months later, the pair left for South Korea with Yogesh Sharma and Sadikshya Shrestha, bringing two years of Nepali modelling talent together at the 21st Asia Model Festival.
The four models departed on November 10 to represent Nepal. Ahead of the trip, they trained with fashion choreographer Dikpal Karki, who had also choreographed the 2026 national finale. Their preparation covered how they walk, hold their posture and carry themselves on stage, alongside the professional discipline expected during rehearsals and performances.
Zion Tamang – Face of Nepal 2026 Winner
Suman Shrestha – Face of Nepal 2026 Winner
Two national finals, one Nepal team
For Zion and Suman, the road to South Korea began at Royal Tulip Kathmandu in Gwarko, Lalitpur. At the September 6 finale organised by MS Production Nepal, 19 finalists walked the runway in three sequences. Zion and Suman were among four principal titleholders that evening, alongside Aaista Joshi and Anisha Shrestha.
Yogesh and Sadikshya earned their places in the Face of Nepal line-up a year earlier. They were among four winners at the July 20, 2025 finale at Hyatt Regency Kathmandu. Sadikshya was studying fashion design at IIFT School of Fashion and Interior Design when she won, giving her a connection to both the clothes presented on the runway and the work of modelling them.
Face of Nepal serves as the festival’s national selection platform. This November, the delegation brings together two titleholders from each edition for a programme that extends well beyond a single competition walk.
Sadikshya Shrestha – Face of Nepal 2025 winner
Yogesh Sharma – Face of Nepal 2025 Winner
What awaits the models in South Korea
The festival’s model camp runs from November 9 to 17. National representatives work on their runway walks and group performances, create content and take part in local cultural activities before the main events at High1 Resort in Gangwon Province.
Organisers list November 17 to 22 as the overall festival dates, with the main programme running from November 18 to 22. It includes the Face of Asia competitions, the Asia Open Collection fashion shows and the Asia Model Awards.
One date to watch is November 20, when High1 Resort hosts the Face of Asia Rising grand finale. The competition draws winners and finalists from national selections across 25 Asian countries. Traditional costume presentations share the programme with brand showcases, giving audiences a chance to see how models represent their home countries as well as how they present a designer’s collection.
