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A haircut sparked international backlash online after Eve Gilles was crowned Miss France on Saturday.
The 20-year-old from Nord-pas-de-Calais wore a pixie cut hairstyle for her coronation, making her the first contestant in the beauty pageant's 103-year history to not have long hair.
Social media users called out Gilles' win and accused the judges of promoting “wokeness” by choosing someone with an “androgynous” appearance. In response, Gilles insisted that every woman is different.
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“We are used to seeing beautiful ladies with long hair, but I went for an androgynous look with short hair,” she said after her win. “No one should tell you who you are… every woman is different, we are all unique.”
Newly elected Miss France 2024, Miss Nord-Pas-de-Calais, Eve Gilles reacts after winning the Miss France 2024 beauty pageant. ((Photo by ARNAUD FINISTRE/AFP) (Photo by ARNAUD FINISTRE/AFP via Getty Images))
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A spokesperson for the Miss Universe pageant also defended Gilles in a statement to People Magazine.
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“There is no one way to be Miss Universe or Miss France and we welcome every look that comes to our stage. We represent the times, and your confident, unique self is the only thing reflected in all of our winners,” the statement read.
The Miss Universe spokesperson also pointed out that this year's pageant featured a variety of hairstyles, pointing out that the most recent winner, Sheynnis Palacios, had shorter hair.
“We've seen personal styles and hair of all kinds – and we love it! Short, long, curly,” the statement reads.
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Miss France 2024, Eve Gilles, is the first pageant winner with short hair. ((Photo by ARNAUD FINISTRE/AFP) (Photo by ARNAUD FINISTRE/AFP via Getty Images))
Miss France is determined by a combination of a public vote and a jury of seven women. Although Gilles came third in the public vote, she was able to move up to first place thanks to the jury's vote.
In a comment to Euronews, Gilles added: “I want to be a strong woman, I want to make people realize that no matter where you start, no matter what path you take, you can achieve your goals. That's what I want to show people.” “Women are diverse, we are all beautiful, we are all different and unique. I’m not unique because of my hair, I’m unique because I’m Eve.”
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This year's beauty pageant was the second year of the Miss France pageant to have more relaxed restrictions to allow for greater diversity. The pageant no longer has age restrictions and does not exclude women who are married or have children or visible tattoos.
The Miss France 2024 beauty pageant took place on December 16, 2023 in Dijon, central-eastern France. ((Photo by ARNAUD FINISTRE / AFP) (Photo by ARNAUD FINISTRE/AFP via Getty Images))
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