Miss Egypt (Arabic: ملكة جمال مصر) is a national beauty pageant in Egypt. The first Egyptian beauty contest was held in Egypt at the beginning of the 20th century. The first Miss Egypt contest was held in 1927.
The photo of Yolanda Kassar appeared on the cover of Al-Musawwar Magazine - dated October 21, 1927 - claiming the title. Several other local beauty contests were held in Egypt annually. In addition to Miss Egypt, there were also Miss Summer, Miss Beach and Miss Golf contests. Also during the harvest seasons, Miss Harvest contests weld held in Upper Egypt and in Alexandria to celebrate the various crops.
As the Egyptian movie industry thrived, these contests became a source to supply producers and directors with new cinematic faces. Many famous Egyptian actresses started their careers after winning local beauty contests, including:
- Laila Fawzy
- Mariam Fakhr El Din
- Zebeida Tharwat
- Laila Sho’eir
- Dalida: In 1954, she won the title of Miss Egypt. She was 21 years old.
- Karima Abdulla
- Ragaa El Gedawy
On 27 of August, 2014, the first auditions were held at Sofitel Cairo El Gezirah Hotel, with 79 girls from across the country. The elimination took part over two rounds with 35 girls selected in round 1 and 20 final contestants to enter the semi-finals (round 2), which was held at Citadel of Salah Ed-Din, then they participated in the qualifiers on the final round for the title of Miss Egypt 2014. The ceremony was held in Sharm el Sheikh on 27 September 2014.
Amaal Rezk took over the brand of Miss Egypt and rebranded as Miss Egypt Bent Masr. The Miss Egypt has started to send a Miss Egypt to Miss Universe from 1987. Miss Egypt 1986, Hoda Aboud was winning the first title of Miss Egypt after many years did not held in Egypt by Miss Egypt Organization. Began 2017 a brand new of Miss Egypt Universe organized by Hoda Aboud sends a national winning title to Miss Universe. The 1st Runner-up at Miss Egypt between 1987 and 2014 went to Miss World and began in 2016 the franchise holder took over by Miss Egypt Bent Msr (operated by Dr. Amel Rizk). The Miss Egypt for Miss International awarded to former Miss Egypt winners or designation queens. Since the Miss International franchise in Egypt has rarely taken, the title has not extended since 2019. The Miss Egypt for Miss Earth awarded to former Miss Egypt winners or runners-up.
Read also: Celebrating Beauty and Purpose: Miss World 2007
The following is a list of winners:
Egypt on the Global Stage: Miss World
Antigone Constanda, an Egyptian of Greek origin, was crowned Miss World in the beauty pageant held in the U.K. in 1954. On 18th October 1954 Antigone Costanda, Miss Egypt, became the first non-European to be crowned Miss World.
The Cypriot-Egyptian beauty was the first Miss Egypt candidate to win the title of Miss World for Egypt, as well as the title of Miss World for an African country. The pageant took place on October 18, 1954, in London, England, with the participation of 16 contestants.
Born in Nicosia, Cyprus, in addition to Arabic, Costanda is fluent in Greek, English, Italian and French. Prior to winning Miss World, Costanda was gaining experience in the modelling profession and was appearing in numerous publications. Winning Miss World further helped her to reach the top of her profession, becoming a successful model in the Middle East, France, Italy and Greece. Her career in later years moved into interior design.
The following year, during the 1955 Miss World beauty pageant held in London, Costanda did not attend the event because of political hostilities between Egypt and Britain over the Suez Canal.
Read also: Exploring the Miss Africa Strain
These incidents demonstrate that the Miss World beauty pageant is not just a competition judging beauty. It is a site in which meanings are ascribed to individual and collective identities performed through women’s bodies, where political, cultural and racial issues are contested and mediated, and the nation is forced to confront itself.
On 15th October during the 1956 Miss World pageant this photo is taken of Miss Israel (Rina Weiss - left), holding hands with Miss Egypt (Normal Dugo - right).
Other notable moments in Miss World history include:
- Carole Crawford, Miss Jamaica, became Miss World in 1963, just months after Jamaican independence in 1962.
- In 1966, the winner was Reita Faria from India, the first Asian woman to win the event.
- By 1970, 58 contestants competed for the Miss World title but it was Jennifer Hosten, Miss Grenada who won the crown.
That same year Miss Spain, Paquita Torres Perez, withdrew from the competition because Miss Gibraltar, Grace Valverde, was in the pageant.
Logina Salah: Life After the Crown
Read also: Miss Universe Ghana: A Retrospective
Logina Salah: A Historic Achievement at Miss Universe 2024
At the Miss Universe 2024, Egypt's Logina Salah made history. She became the first-ever contestant with vitiligo to compete in Miss Universe.
Vitiligo is a skin condition where pale to white patches begin to appear on the skin's surface. The patches are a result of the skin cells that give the pigment to the skin to stop functioning.
In a further historic move, Logina Salah also became the first Egyptian contestant to make it to the top 30 in the pageant's 73-year history, marking a significant milestone for her country. By doing so, Logina not only redefined traditional beauty standards but also fostered a conversation about inclusivity, demonstrating that true beauty goes beyond physical appearance.
Thanking her 1.8 million Instagram family, Logina Salah wrote, “WE MADE HISTORY. I am beyond thrilled and incredibly proud to see Egypt make it to the semi-finals of Miss Universe! This is the result of unwavering dedication, hard work, and a mindset that always strives for greatness. We've put Egypt back on the pageantry map, and this is just the beginning! With determination and a positive outlook, anything is possible. Thank you all for your amazing love and support together we're proving that the sky truly has no limits. Onward and upwards.”
Logina Salah's historic achievement at Miss Universe 2024 brings to mind the trailblazing journey of Winnie Harlow, a Canadian model and activist who also has vitiligo. Winnie rose to fame after her appearance on America's Next Top Model in 2014 and went on to become the first model with vitiligo to walk in the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show.
As a groundbreaking figure in the fashion industry, Winnie Harlow has collaborated with iconic brands like Fendi, Marc Jacobs, Tommy Hilfiger, Diesel, Swarovski, Nike, Puma and MAC, among others and graced the covers of numerous prestigious magazines.
Winnie Harlow, model and activist with vitiligo.
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