The Miss Ivory Coast pageant is shaking up traditional beauty standards with its new rule banning elaborate hairstyles, promoting a more natural look and celebrating African beauty in all its forms.
The Miss Ivory Coast pageant has long been known for its elaborate hairstyles, with contestants often spending thousands of dollars on wigs and extensions. However, this year’s competition is shaking things up by banning these styles from the preliminary rounds.
Miss Ivory Coast is a national beauty pageant in Côte d'Ivoire, West Africa.
The contest selects the country's representative for the Miss Universe and Miss World competitions.
The first edition was held in 1961, with several winners going on to compete internationally.
According to statistics, over 50% of participants are between 18-22 years old.
The pageant is known for promoting Ivorian culture and values.
According to Victor Yapobi, president of the Miss Ivory Coast organising committee, the goal is to promote a more natural look and celebrate African beauty in all its forms. ‘We want the candidates to be natural – whether with braids or straightened hair, it should be their own,’ he said. This change has sparked both excitement and controversy among contestants and industry professionals.
The Impact on Contestants
For some, like 21-year-old Emmanuella Dali, the new rule is a breath of fresh air. ‘This rule gives me more pride as a woman – as an African woman,’ she said. Dali, a real estate agent, had previously spent money on wigs and extensions but now sees them as unnecessary.
Others, like make-up artist Astrid Menekou, are not so sure. While she appreciates the new rule, she also misses the creativity that wigs and weaves bring to her work. ‘I’m a wigs fan. I love wigs,’ she said. ‘But now? I like my hair, and that’s OK.‘
The Business of Beauty
However, not everyone is thrilled with the change. Ange Sea, a 30-year-old hairdresser in Daloa, fears that the ban will harm her business. ‘Many women love wigs,’ she said. ‘This will hurt our business and we make more money when working with wigs and weaves.‘
The hair industry in Ivory Coast is worth over $300 million a year, with wigs and weaves making up a significant share of that market. The ban on these styles could have significant economic implications.
A New Era for Beauty
As the pageant continues to make waves, it’s clear that this is just the beginning of a larger conversation about beauty standards in Africa. While some may see the new rule as a step forward, others may view it as a loss of freedom and creativity.
Africa is a vast and diverse continent, home to over 2,000 languages and more than 3,000 ethnic groups.
As a result, beauty standards vary greatly from one culture to another.
In some African cultures, being tall and slender is considered beautiful, while in others, curves and voluptuous figures are highly prized.
For example, the Fulani people of West Africa value tallness and thinness, whereas the Yoruba people of Nigeria and Benin value round faces and full hips.
These diverse beauty standards reflect the unique cultural and historical contexts of each community.
One thing is certain, however: the Miss Ivory Coast pageant has become a platform for celebrating African beauty in all its forms. As Doria Koré, who went on to be named Miss Haut-Sassandra, said, ‘Winning with natural hair shows the true beauty of African women.‘
