Photo Credit:Associated Press
In a pageant shake-up, Miss Côte d’Ivoire 2025 prohibited wigs, weaves, and hair extensions in its preliminary rounds. It’s a significant cultural shift, one meant to celebrate the natural beauty of Ivorian women and move away from decades of Western beauty ideals.
The new rule, introduced by the Miss Côte d’Ivoire organization committee (COMICI), mandates the use of their natural hair—short, braided, or straightened. “Beauty has to be raw,” Victor Yapobi, the head of the organizing committee, said. He used Marlène-Kany Kouassi, crowned queen in 2022 with short natural hair, as an example of the kind of self-assurance and honesty they aim to highlight.
Extensions and wigs have long been the queen in Ivory Coast beauty pageants, with most contestants going all out for their appearance. But this year’s competition is eliminating those priorities. The change is part of a broader effort to make the pageant more inclusive and open up. The minimum height has been lowered to 1.67 meters, the age increased to 28, and the registration fee lowered from approximately $80 to $50.
Reactions from contestants have been mixed. Some are excited by the chance to be themselves. “This rule makes me proud to be a woman—to be an African woman,” said Emmanuella Dali, 21. Others, like make-up artist Astrid Menekou, were initially shocked but have now accepted the change.
But the action has financial repercussions. Ivory Coast’s hair trade is worth over $300 million annually, and wigs and weaves comprise a significant part of it. Hairdressers like Ange Sea worry that the rule will be bad for business. “Women love wigs. This will affect us,” she said.
Critics argue that the pageant should allow women to define beauty on their own terms, while supporters believe it’s a much-needed shift that embraces African identity and reduces pressure to conform to expensive beauty norms.
While the country is watching the contest build up towards a national finale this June in Abidjan, the battle of beauty, identity, and self-expression remains. To the majority, true crown is self-confidence, rather than conformity. As Dali, who failed to bring home her hometown pageant, testified: “I feel proud. This is who I am.”
