No Wigs Allowed: Ivory Coast Pageant Celebrates Natural Beauty With Bold New Rule
In a groundbreaking shift, the Miss Ivory Coast 2025 competition has banned wigs, weaves, and extensions in its preliminary rounds, marking a powerful statement in favor of natural African beauty. The move, introduced by the pageant’s organizing committee, has sparked widespread conversation—and controversy—across the nation and beyond.
“Beauty must be raw,” said Victor Yapobi, president of the Miss Ivory Coast organizing committee. “We want the candidates to be natural—whether with braids or straightened hair, it should be their own.”
This bold regulation places Ivory Coast as the only African country enforcing such a ban in a national pageant, aiming to challenge long-standing norms shaped by Western beauty standards.
The announcement follows the symbolic win of Marlène-Kany Kouassi, crowned Miss Ivory Coast 2022, who wore her short, natural Afro—a rare sight in over six decades of the pageant’s history.
More Than Hair: Rewriting the Rules of Beauty
The changes go beyond hair. Contestant height requirements were lowered to 1.67m, the age cap increased to 28, and entry fees reduced from $80 to $50 to ease the financial burden on young women aspiring to compete.
At the first regional contest in Daloa, contestant Emmanuella Dali praised the natural hair rule. “This gives me more pride as a woman—as an African woman,” she said, despite not winning the crown.
Another contestant, Astrid Menekou, admitted initial shock. “I’m a wigs fan… But now? I like my hair. And that’s OK.”
Business Backlash
But not everyone is celebrating. Ivory Coast’s $300 million hair industry—where wigs can cost anywhere between $200 and $4,000—is bracing for impact.
“This rule is not good for us,” said Ange Sea, a hairdresser in Daloa. “We make more money when working with wigs and weaves.”
Many argue that wigs are not only a form of self-expression but also a protective style for natural hair. The regulation, they fear, could limit artistic freedom and hurt small salon businesses reliant on wig sales.
Cultural Shift or Temporary Trend?
Supporters see the change as part of a global natural hair movement that has gained traction over the last decade. Still, challenges persist in everyday Ivorian society.
“Turn on the TV here and you’ll see almost every journalist wearing a wig,” said Florence Edwige Nanga, a trichologist in Abidjan, warning that overuse of extensions can lead to alopecia and scalp infections.
The rule’s impact, says Yapobi, has already been “extraordinary,” with congratulatory messages pouring in from across the world. Whether the no-wig rule will extend to the final round—set to be broadcast in June from Abidjan—remains undecided.
But for now, women like Miss Haut-Sassandra winner Doria Koré are owning their crowns proudly: “Winning with natural hair shows the true beauty of African women.”
And for Emmanuella Dali? The biggest win was self-love. “I didn’t win, but I feel proud. This is who I am.”
