Miss France, Eve Gilles, faces criticism for her pixie haircut, asserting that ‘each woman is unique’ in response

The newly crowned Miss France, Eve Gilles, has faced criticism for her distinctive pixie haircut, a departure from traditional pageant norms. Critics on social media have accused the pageant judges of endorsing ‘wokeness’ and selecting a winner with an ‘androgynous’ appearance.

Eve Gilles, a 20-year-old from Nord-pas-de-Calais, made history as the first Miss France contestant in the pageant’s 103 years to win with short hair.

In response to the criticism, Gilles emphasized the importance of individuality, saying, “We’re used to seeing beautiful Misses with long hair, but I chose an androgynous look with short hair. No one should dictate who you are… every woman is different, we’re all unique.”

The Miss Universe pageant’s spokesperson also supported Eve in a statement to People Magazine, stating, “There is no one way to be Miss Universe or Miss France, and we embrace every look that comes across our stage. We represent the times, and being your confident unique self is the one thing we see being reflected in all of our winners.” The spokesperson highlighted that the recent Miss Universe pageant featured contestants with various hairstyles, including the winner, Sheynnis Palacios, who also had short hair.

The selection of Miss France involves both public voting and a jury of seven women. Despite placing third in the public vote, the jury’s decision propelled Gilles to first place.

In an interview with Euronews, Gilles expressed her desire to be a role model of strength and diversity, saying, “I want to be a strong woman, I want to make people realise that no matter where you start, no matter what path you take, you can achieve your goals. I want to show people that women are diverse, that we’re all beautiful, and that we’re all different and unique. I’m not unique because of my hair, I’m unique because I’m Eve.”

The Miss France pageant has recently embraced more inclusive rules, marking its second year of allowing greater diversity among contestants. There is no longer an age limit, and women who are married, have children, or have visible tattoos are now eligible to compete.