Miss France

Miss France
Motto The most beautiful woman of France
Formation 1920
Type Beauty Pageant
Headquarters Paris
Location
Membership
 Miss Universe
Miss World
Miss Earth
Miss International
Official language
 French
National Director
 Sylvie Tellier
Website Official site

Miss France is a national beauty pageant for young women in France, originally founded in 1920 by Maurice de Waleffe as « The most beautiful woman of France ».

The pageant is held each year in December, and the winner is designated by the year that begins in the ensuing January.[1] Rights to the trademark are owned by the company Miss France SAS,[2][3] whose director general is Sylvie Tellier, Miss France 2002.[4] Local and regional pageants that provide entrants for the Miss France contest are organized by the Comité Miss France, whose emblematic president was Geneviève de Fontenay during 20 years.[4]

Miss France 2015, Camille Cerf, was chosen December 6, 2014. Her prizes included 100,000 euros in gifts, use of a Paris apartment for one year, and a monthly net salary of 3,000 euros.[5]

Rules

The pageant is contested by regional winners of local contests from Metropolitan France and its overseas territories. The method of choosing the winner has varied over the years, ordinarily with a jury of celebrities choosing a set of finalists. The winner in recent years was chosen by a weighting of the jury's opinion and votes of television viewers of the pageant (who pay a fee for each vote). For the Miss France 2010 contest, the winner was chosen entirely by the votes of viewers for the first time.[6]

To become Miss France, it is necessary:[1]

One should not:

History

La plus belle femme de France

The first organizer of the Miss France contest was Maurice de Waleffe, a journalist. In 1920 he organized a beauty contest whose winner was to be chosen by filmgoers. The contest was called "La plus belle femme de France" -- "The most beautiful woman of France".[7]

The first contest had 1,700 entrants, from which a jury chose 49 finalists. Each week for seven weeks, filmgoers received a ballot with seven different names. The winner was Agnès Souret.[8] The contest was repeated in 1921, with the winner Pauline Pô, after which it was discontinued.

Miss France

In 1926, the contest winner was called "Miss France" for the first time. The contest was discontinued after the 1940 contest because of World War II, and de Waleffe died in 1946.[8]

Starting in 1947, several different groups organized national beauty contests, some of which carried the name Miss France. One of them, founded by Jean Raibaut, was formally organized under the name "Club Charly's" in 1950.[8] The contest organized by Endemol traces its roots to a contest run by an informal group led by Guy Rinaldo and Louis de Fontenay that called itself "Comité Miss France" and crowned its first winner in 1947. After the commencement of the Miss World contest in 1951 and the Miss Universe contest in 1952, the "Comité Miss France" formally organized in 1954, with Rinaldo as president, under the name "Comité Miss France - Miss Europe - Miss Universe."[3]

In these early days, however, the organizers of the global contests did not necessarily have entrants who had won what might be considered the corresponding national contest. The entrant for Miss Universe 1953 from France, for instance, was Christiane Martel, who had won the Miss Cinémonde contest, also organized by Rinaldo, and not Sylviane Carpentier, who had won the Miss France contest.[9] Similarly, the entrant for Miss World 1953 was Denise Perrier. As a result, even though France won both the Miss World and Miss Universe contests in 1953, two different women were the winners, and neither was the winner of the Miss France contest.

The Miss France War

The administrative secretary of the "Comité Miss France - Miss Europe - Miss Universe" was Geneviève Mulmann, who along with Louis de Fontenay ousted Rinaldo on September 14, 1956. Louis and Geneviève subsequently both took the name de Fontenay, presented themselves as a married couple and had two children together, though they never married. Rinaldo formed a rival association called the "Comité Miss France de Paris". And "Club Charly's" continued to name its own Miss France. Several lawsuits and countersuits ensued.[3]

The war claimed its first injury in April 1983. The de Fontenay committee had deposed Isabelle Turpault for posing for nude photographs. After Turpault made some disparaging remarks about Geneviève de Fontenay, Turpault alleged that one of the de Fontenay children, Xavier, punched her on the Champs-Élysées.[10]

In 1986, Geneviève de Fontenay registered the trademark "Miss France" with the Institut National de la Propriété Intellectuelle (INPI), and defended it from a challenge by the Rinaldo committee. She renewed the trademark in 1996.[3]

In 1999, Eric Morley, founder and organizer of the Miss World contest, revoked the license of the de Fontenay committee and awarded it to the Rinaldo committee, headed by Antoine de Villejoie after Rinaldo's death in 1991.[11] The license was subsequently awarded to Endemol, and starting in 2005 the winner of the Endemol contest or her designated replacement has participated in Miss World.

Miss World, Miss Universe and Miss Earth

In the early years of the Miss World and Miss Universe contests, it was rare for the winner of the Miss France contest to compete in both (see table below). From 1961 to 1993, however, the winner of Miss France, or her runner-up, generally competed in Miss World or Miss Earth .

In 1971, the Miss France winner, Myriam Stocco, competed in both the Miss World and Miss Universe contests. From then until 1993, 17 of the 23 Miss France winners competed in both global contests.

Starting in 1994, the de Fontenay committee stopped sending the winner or runner-up to Miss World, a situation that led to the shift of the license to the Rinaldo committee in 1999.[11] Since 2005, however, the entrant in both global contests has been the winner of the Miss France contest organized by Endemol or her designated replacement.

Titleholders

La plus belle femme de France

YearMiss France
1920 Agnès Souret
1921 Pauline Pô

Pre-World War II

YearMiss France
1926 Roberte Cusey
1927 Raymonde Allain
1928 Germaine Laborde
1929 Madeleine Mourgues
1930 Yvette Labrousse
1931 Jeanne Juillia
1932 Lucienne Nahmias
1933 Emilienne Quesson de Souza
1934 Simone Barillier
1935 Elisabeth Pitz
1936 Lynne Lassal
1937 Jacqueline Janet
1938 Annie Garrigues[12]
1939 Ginette Catriens
1940 Joséphine Ladwig

Post-World War II

Boldface indicates winner of the Miss Universe or Miss World pageant ( the only winners from France were in the two contests held in 1953.)

     Miss France
     Miss France 1st Runner-up
     Miss France 2nd Runner-up
     Miss France 3rd Runner-up
     Miss France 4th Runner-up
Year Miss France Miss Universe France Miss World France Miss International France Miss Earth France
1947 Yvonne Viseux
1948 Jacqueline Donny
1949 Juliette Figueras
1950 Maryse Delort
1951 Nicole Drouin Jacqueline Lemoine
1952 Josiane Pouy Claude Godart Nicole Drouin
(4th Runner up)[13]
1953 Sylviane Carpentier Christiane Martel
(Miss Universe 1953)		 Denise Perrier
(Miss World 1953)
1954 Irène Tunc Jacqueline Beer
(Top 16)		 Claudine Bleuse
(3rd Runner up)[14]
1955 Véronique Zuber Claudie Petit Gisele Thierry
(5th Runner up)[15]
1956 Maryse Fabre Anita Treyens
(Top 15)		 Genevieve Solare
1957 Sylvie-Rosine Numez Lisa Simon Claude Inès Navarro
(5th Runner up)[16]
1958 Monique Negler Monique Boulinguez Claudine Auger
(1st Runner up)
1959 Monique Chiron Françoise St-Laurent
(Top 15)		 Marie Hélène Trové
1960 Brigitte Barazer de Lannurien Florence Eyrie Diane Medina
(Top 15)		 Suzanne Degrémont
1961 Luce Auger Simone Darot
(Top 15)		 Michèle Wargnier
(3rd Runner up)		 Brigitte Barazer de Lannurien
1962 Monique Lemaire Sabine Surget Monique Lemaire
(2nd Runner up)
1963 Muguette Fabris Monique Lemaire
(Top 15)[13]		 Muguette Fabris
(6th Runner up)		 Marie-Josée LeCocq
1964 Jacqueline Gayraud Edith Noël
(Top 10)		 Jacqueline Gayraud
(Top 16)		 Brigitte Pradel
1965 Christiane Sibellin Marie-Thérèse Tullio Christiane Sibellin
(Top 16)		 Marie-Perron
1966 Michèle Boulé Michèle Boulé Michèle Boulé
(Top 15)
1967 Jeanne Beck Anne Vernier Carole Noe
(Top 15)		 Martine Grateau
1968 Christiane Lillio Elizabeth Cadren
(Top 15)		 Nelly Gallerne
(Top 15)		 Nelly Gallerne
(Top 15)
1969 Suzanne Angly Agathe Cognet Suzanne Angly
(Top 15)		 Sophie Yallant
1970 Michelle Beaurain Françoise Durand-Behot Michelle Beaurain Dominique Pasquier
1971 Myriam Stocco Myriam Stocco
(5th Runner up)		 Myriam Stocco
(6th Runner up)		 Laurence Vallée
1972 Claudine Cassereau Claudine Cassereau Claudine Cassereau Suzanne Angly
(Top 15)
1973 Isabelle Nadia Krumacker Isabelle Nadia Krumacker Isabelle Nadia Krumacker Christine Schmidth
(Top 15)
1974 Edna Tepava Brigitte Marie Flayac Edna Tepava Josiane Bouffeni
1975 Sophie Perin Sophie Perin Sophie Perin Isabelle Nadia Krumacker
(Top 15)
(Miss Photogenic)
1976 Monique Uldaric Monique Uldaric Monique Uldaric Sophie Perin
(Miss International 1976)
1977 Véronique Fagot Véronique Fagot Véronique Fagot
(Top 15)		 Catherine Pouchele
1978 Brigitte Konjovic Brigitte Konjovic Kelly Hoarau Véronique Fagot
1979 Sylvie Hélène Marie Parera Sylvie Hélène Marie Parera Sylvie Hélène Marie Parera Martine Juliette David
1980 Patricia Barzyk Brigitte Choquet Patricia Barzyk
(1st Runner up)		 Sylvie Hélène Marie Parera
(Top 10)
(Miss Photogenic)
1981 Isabelle Sophie Benárd Isabelle Sophie Benárd Isabelle Sophie Benárd Beatriz Peyet
1982 Sabrina Belleval Martine Marie Philipps Martine Marie Philipps Isabelle Rochard
1983 Frederique Marcelle Leroy Frederique Marcelle Leroy Frederique Marcelle Leroy Valérie Guenveur
1984 Martine Robine Martine Robine Martine Robine Corinne Terrason
1985 Suzanne Iskandar Suzanne Iskandar Nathalie Jones Nathalie Jones
1986 Valérie Pascale Catherine Carew Catherine Carew Catherine Lucette Billaudeau
1987 Nathalie Marquay Nathalie Marquay Nathalie Marquay
(6th Runner up)		 Joelle Annik Ramyhed
1988 Sylvie Bertin Claudia Frittolini Claudia Frittolini Nathalie Marquay
(Top 10)
1989 Stephanie (Peggy) Zlotkowski Pascale Meotti Stephanie (Peggy) Zlotkowski Dorothée Lambert
1990 Gaëlle Voiry Gaëlle Voiry Gaëlle Voiry Celine Marteau
1991 Maréva Georges Maréva Georges
(Top 10)		 Maréva Georges
(Top 10)		 Catherine Clarysse
(1st Runner-up)
1992 Linda Hardy Linda Hardy Linda Hardy Benedicte Marie Delmas
1993 Véronique de la Cruz Véronique de la Cruz Véronique de la Cruz
(6th Runner up)		 Marie-Ange Noelle Contart
1994 Valérie Claisse Valérie Claisse Radiah Latidine Nathalie Pereira
1995 Mélody Vilbert Corinne Lauret Hélène Lantoine Mélody Vilbert
(Top 10)
1996 Laure Belleville Laure Belleville Séverine Deroualle Nancy Cornelia Delettrez
1997 Patricia Spehar Patricia Spehar Laure Belleville[13] Marie Pauline Borg
(2nd Runner-up)
1998 Sophie Thalmann Sophie Thalmann Véronique Caloc
(1st Runner up)		 Patricia Spehar
(Top 10)
1999 Maréva Galanter Maréva Galanter Sandra Bretones Céline Cheuva
2000 Sonia Rolland Sonia Rolland
(Top 10)		 Karine Meier Tatiana Michele Bouguer
2001 Élodie Gossuin Élodie Gossuin
(Top 10)		 Emmanuelle Chossat Nawal Benhlal
2002 Sylvie Tellier Sylvie Tellier Caroline Chamorand Emmanuelle Jagodisinski
(1st Runner-up)
2003 Corinne Coman Emmanuelle Chossat Virginie Dubois Elodie Couffin
2004 Lætitia Bléger Lætitia Bléger Lætitia Marciniak Lucie Degletagne
2005 Cindy Fabre Cindy Fabre Cindy Fabre Cynthia Tevere
(Top 10)
2006 Alexandra Rosenfeld Alexandra Rosenfeld Laura Fasquel[17] Marie-Charlotte Meré
2007 Rachel Legrain-Trapani Rachel Legrain-Trapani Rachel Legrain-Trapani Sophie Vouzelaud
2008 Valérie Bègue Laura Tanguy Laura Tanguy Vicky Michaud
2009 Chloé Mortaud Chloé Mortaud
(Top 10)		 Chloé Mortaud
(3rd Runner-up)		 Mathilde Muller
2010 Malika Ménard Malika Ménard
(Top 15)		 Virginie Dechenaud
(Top 25)		 Florima Treiber
(Top 15)
2011 Laury Thilleman Laury Thilleman
(Top 10)		 Clémence Oleksy Laura Maurey
2012 Delphine Wespiser Marie Payet
(Top 10)		 Delphine Wespiser Marion Amelineau
2013 Marine Lorphelin Hinarani de Longeaux Marine Lorphelin
(1st Runner up)
(Queen of Europe) 		Sophie Garenaux
(Top 16)
2014 Flora Coquerel Camille Cerf
(Top 15)		 Flora Coquerel Aurianne Sinacola
(Best Body)		 Laëtizia Penmellen
(Miss Photogenic)
2015 Camille Cerf TBA TBA TBA TBA

Disputes and vacancies

The title has been declared vacant on several occasions, with the runner-up generally fulfilling the term of the winner.

YearWinnerReplacementReasons
1935 Elisabeth Pitz Giselle Preville Pitz returned her crown after 2 hours and was replaced by Preville.[18]
1954 Irène Tunc Danielle Génault No reason given,[18] though Tunc was already starting to appear in movies.[19]
1956 Maryse Fabre Gisèle Charbit Fabre's election rescinded after public protests. Charbit was elected the following evening.[18]
1961 Luce Auger Michèle Wargnier Auger deposed for being a mother, even though she had informed the organizers.[20]
1966 Michèle Boulé Monique Boucher No reason given,[18] although Boulé competed in both the Miss World and Miss Universe pageants.
1972 Chantal Bouvier de la Motte Claudine Cassereau Resigned because of injuries from a fall from a horse.[18]
1978 Pascale Taurua Brigitte Konjovic Taurua resigned to return to New Caledonia rather than stay in France for a year. The first runner-up, Kelly Hoarau from Reunion Island, declined also, but competed in the Miss World contest. Konjovic, second runner-up, took the position and competed in Miss Universe.[18]
1983 Isabelle Turpault Frederique Marcelle Leroy Deposed for posing nude in a magazine.[18]
1988 Sylvie Bertin Claudia Frittolini Deposed for refusing to participate in Miss Universe contest.[18]
2004 Laetitia Bléger Lucie Degletagne Deposed for six months for posing nude in Playboy. Restored after apologizing. Successfully sued her agent for manipulating her.[18]
2008 Valérie Bègue Laura Tanguy Repudiated by Geneviève de Fontenay for "scandalous" photos in a magazine,[21] but retained her title with the support of Endemol. She agreed not to compete in the global contests. The first runner-up, Miss New Caledonia, Vahinerii Requillart, decided to not compete in Miss Universe because she wanted to continue studying.[22] Tanguy, the second runner-up, competed in the Miss World and Miss Universe contests.[18]

External links

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Miss France registration form (in French)
  2. ↑ MISS FRANCE SAS sur SOCIETE.COM (in French)
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 WIPO Domain Name Decision (in French)
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 L'entreprise "Miss France" (in French)
  5. ↑ "Le salaire de Marine Lorphelin, Miss France 2013, dévoilé". 8 July 2013. L’ex-Miss Bourgogne sacrée reine de beauté, touche 3 000 euros tous les mois. Une somme à laquelle il faut rajouter pour près de 100 000 euros de cadeaux en nature (bijoux, voiture, voyage, ordinateur portable, abonnement d’un an dans une salle de gym).
  6. ↑ Miss France 2010 : Malika Ménard élue avec 34% des votes du public (in French)
  7. ↑ La société Miss France (in French)
  8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 8.2 Historique
  9. ↑ Critical Beauty - The Miss France Controversy
  10. ↑ Critical Beauty - The Miss France Controversy
  11. ↑ 11.0 11.1 "Miss World and Miss France Statement Issued by Eric Morley", reprinted in "La vérité tirée du chapeau," pp. 132-133
  12. ↑ (French) Fabricio Cardenas, Vieux papiers des Pyrénées-Orientales, Miss Pyrénées-Orientales élue Miss France en 1938, 7 decembre 2014
  13. ↑ 13.0 13.1 13.2 Won previous year's Miss France contest.
  14. ↑ MissWorld.com : History 1954
  15. ↑ MissWorld.com : History 1955
  16. ↑ MissWorld.com : History 1957
  17. ↑ Miss World 2006: Meet the Contestants Rosenfeld declined to participate in Miss World after a "sour experience" at Miss Universe.
  18. ↑ 18.0 18.1 18.2 18.3 18.4 18.5 18.6 18.7 18.8 18.9 Palmarès des Miss France depuis 1920 à nos jours (in French)
  19. ↑ Irène Tunc at IMDB.com
  20. ↑ "Il lui a fallu six ans de procedure pour reconquerir son titre de Miss France", L'Aurore, 7 April 1967, reprinted in "La vérité tirée du chapeau", p. 85 (in French). Despite the title of the article, Luce Auger did not regain her title.
  21. ↑ Miss France Valerie Begue Photos Scandal
  22. ↑ Vahinerii Requillart décline l'offre du Comité Miss France