The Ivorian beauty pageant has struck hard by now asking candidates to apply with their natural hair, in a country where wearing wigs and extensions is culturally widespread.
Marlène Kany Kouassi, crowned Miss Côte d’Ivoire in 2022, was crowned with her natural hair, which she showcased throughout her reign. Facebook/Kouassi Marlene KANY
It’s an earthquake in the world of beauty pageants in Côte d’Ivoire. The Miss Côte d’Ivoire national committee has decided to ban candidates from wearing wigs or extensions in future in beauty queen competitions, the BBC reported on Monday, April 7.
Only two of the 28 Miss Côte d’Ivoire winners had entered the competition with natural hair, including Marlène Kany Kouassi, who was elected in 2022. Her victory provoked a lot of reaction at the time in a country where wigs and hair extensions are considered the norm, whether in beauty contests or in everyday life. Angélique Angarni-Filopon, Miss France 2025, is also cited by the BBC for the example she sets, having also been elected with her natural hair.
“I thought that’s what you had to have to be beautiful.”
“They can come with braids, they can come with short hair, if they don’t have any hair, they can come shaved,” Victor Yapobi, president of the Miss Côte d’Ivoire committee, told our colleagues at RFI in February. “Beauty must be natural,” he emphasized once again to the BBC on the sidelines of a local selection. In fact, cosmetic surgery is prohibited for candidates and the committee fights against the use of skin lightening creams.
All hair treatments have thus been banned from all the regional elections taking place this spring in 13 cities in the West African country, before a grand final on June 28 in Abidjan. For the first time, the competition is open to women aged 18 to 28, compared with 25 previously, and the minimum height has been set at 1.67 m. The committee has also decided to lower the registration fee from 75 to 45 euros. “We noticed that these young women were spending a lot of money to participate and that it was starting to weigh on their budget,” Victor Yapobi adds.
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Since the announcement in February of the new regulations implemented for the 2025 edition, there have been many reactions, as this is a first in the region, with neighboring countries not having followed this idea. One of the contenders, Laetitia Mouroufie, who is competing for the second time, welcomes this change: “Last year, I wore extensions because I thought that was what you had to do to be beautiful. This year, I have more confidence in myself,” said the 25-year-old. A first step towards greater acceptance of natural hair in Ivorian society.
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