Miss Ivory Coast beauty pageant bans wigs and weaves to promote natural beauty

Wigs and beauty contests are big business in Ivory Coast, but the industry is facing change.

British Broadcasting CorporationWatch LiveHomeNewsSportBusinessInnovationCultureArtsTravelEarthAudioVideoLiveHomeNewsIsrael-Gaza WarWar in UkraineUS & CanadaUKUK PoliticsEnglandN. IrelandN. Ireland PoliticsScotlandScotland PoliticsWalesWales PoliticsAfricaAsiaChinaIndiaAustraliaEuropeLatin AmericaMiddle EastIn PicturesBBC InDepthBBC VerifySportBusinessExecutive LoungeTechnology of BusinessFuture of BusinessInnovationTechnologyScience & HealthArtificial IntelligenceAI v the MindCultureFilm & TVMusicArt & DesignStyleBooksEntertainment NewsArtsArts in MotionTravelDestinationsAfricaAntarcticaAsiaAustralia and PacificCaribbean & BermudaCentral AmericaEuropeMiddle EastNorth AmericaSouth AmericaWorld’s TableCulture & ExperiencesAdventuresThe SpeciaListEarthNatural WondersWeather & ScienceClimate SolutionsSustainable BusinessGreen LivingAudioPodcastsRadioAudio FAQsVideoLiveLive NewsLive SportHomeNewsSportBusinessInnovationCultureArtsTravelEarthAudioVideoLiveWeatherNewslettersNo wigs please - the new rules shaking up beauty pageants4 days agoShareSaveAnita NkongeBBC NewsShareSaveCOMICIMarlène-Kany Kouassi is one of only two winners of Miss Ivory Coast over the last six decades to wear her crown over natural hairLong, flowing wigs and weave extensions have dominated the catwalks of Ivory Coast's massively popular beauty pageants for years.

Contestants in the West African nation often spend a huge amount of money on their appearance, from outfits to hairdos - with very few choosing the natural look.

In more than six decades, there have only been two notable exceptions, the most recent was Marlène-Kany Kouassi, who took the Miss Ivory Coast title in 2022 - looking resplendent with her short natural hair, the crown becoming her only adornment.

Her victory was not only unusual in Ivory Coast but across the world, where Western beauty standards are often the desired look both for those entering contests and for the judges.

Changes are slowly creeping in - last December Angélique Angarni-Filopon, from the French Caribbean island of Martinique, made headlines when she was crowned Miss France, mainly because of her age - she is 34 - and she also sported short Afro hair.