Eve Gilles, a 20-year-old “androgynous” contestant with a short, boyish haircut, was crowned Miss France 2024, sparking debate and accusations of the pageant going “woke”.
Gilles, representing the northernmost region of France, Nord-Pas-de-Calais, became the first contestant in history with a pixie cut to win the title at the final in Dijon.
“We’re used to seeing beautiful Misses with long hair, but I chose an androgynous look with short hair,” she said after her victory, adding that every “woman is different, we’re all unique”.
Gilles has been vocal about her desire to diversify beauty standards and modernize the pageant, which has faced criticism for being sexist.
“I would like to show that the competition is evolving and society too, that the representation of women is diverse, in my opinion beauty is not limited to a haircut or shapes that we have… or not,” she said on stage Saturday.
The Miss France contest is judged half on public vote and half by a panel of seven female judges.
The Miss France organisation has attempted to modernise itself in recent years by opening up the competition to candidates of any age, mothers, wives, and even trans women. The first time a trans woman competed in the Miss Paris contest was in 2022.
