In a groundbreaking decision, the Miss Côte d’Ivoire pageant has prohibited wigs and weaves for its 2025 competition, thereby encouraging contestants to embrace their natural hair.
Announced on January 28, 2025, this move aims to promote authenticity and celebrate African beauty in its purest form.
Victor Yapobi, president of the organizing committee, explained that the new rule is specifically designed to highlight natural African hair.
Contestants must now showcase their real hair whether it is long, short, braided, or even shaved.
This marks the first time a national beauty pageant has implemented such a policy making it a historic shift in the industry.
The decision was partly influenced by Marlene Kouassi, who won Miss Côte d’Ivoire in 2022 while proudly wearing her short natural hair.
In addition to the ban on wigs and weaves, the pageant has also altered its eligibility criteria reducing the minimum height requirement from 1.68 meters to 1.67 meters and increasing the age limit from 25 to 28 years.
Some may question the impact of these changes on contestant diversity, but the organizers remain steadfast in their commitment to authenticity because this represents a significant cultural evolution.
Although this decision may incite considerable debate, it mirrors a profound cultural transformation, highlighting the allure of natural hair.
The 2025 Miss Côte d’Ivoire grand finale is set for June 26 which is quite significant and the newly instituted rule has already provoked mixed reactions.
SOURCE:DKlassGh.net