Kerstin Margareta " Kiki" Håkansson (23 July 1929 – 4 November 2024) was a Swedish model and beauty queen who was the first winner of the Miss World beauty pageant.
Kerstin Margareta Håkansson | |
|---|---|
 Håkansson on the cover of a Tempo magazine issue from 1951 | |
| Born | 23 July 1929 Stockholm, Sweden |
| Died | 4 November 2024 (aged 95) California, U.S. |
| Other names | Kiki Håkansson |
| Occupation(s) | beauty queen and model |
| Spouse | Dallas Anderson |
| Children | 3 |
| Beauty pageant titleholder | |
| Title | Miss Sweden 1951 Miss World 1951 |
| Hair color | Light brown |
| Eye color | Blue |
| Major competition(s) | Miss World Sweden 1951 (Winner) Miss World 1951 (Winner) |
Miss World 1951
editOriginally the Festival Bikini Contest,[1] Miss World was organized by Eric Morley as a mid-century advertisement for swimwear at the Festival of Britain.[2] Håkansson was a photo and fashion model[3] when she was crowned Miss Sweden World in 1951 and subsequently won the London pageant.[4]
Håkansson wore a bikini during the crowning ritual, after which she was condemned by the Pope,[5][6] and some countries with strong religious traditions threatened to withdraw delegates.[7] In 1952, bikinis were banned from the pageant and replaced with more modest swimwear.[8][9] While they were eventually reintroduced to Miss World, Håkansson remains the only winner to have received her crown while wearing one.[7]
Later life
editHåkansson declined an Italian film contract and an American modelling contract and continued her modelling career in Europe, working for the Comité français de l'élégance. She studied French couture sewing, and judged several beauty pageants. She married Dallas Anderson, an American sculptor whom she met when he was studying in Europe; after nine years in Copenhagen, they moved to the United States, where Håkansson retired from modelling and Anderson became a faculty member at Brigham Young University in Utah.[3]
Personal life and death
editHåkansson and her husband had three children.[3] She died in her sleep on 4 November 2024 in California, at the age of 95.[10]
References
edit- ^ Stein, Elissa; Meriwether, Lee (2006). Beauty Queen. Chronicle Books. p. 45. ISBN 0-8118-4864-7.
- ^ Dewey, Susan (2008). Making Miss India Miss World. Syracuse University Press. p. 46. ISBN 978-0-8156-3176-7.
- ^ a b c Walker, Marcella (27 August 1975). "Former Miss World to Judge Show". Daily Herald. Utah. p. 33 – via newspapers.com.
- ^ Mitra, Ipshita. "Miss Worlds of the 50s and where they are now - Beauty Pageants - Indiatimes". Femina Miss India. Retrieved 6 April 2018.
- ^ Magnanti, Brooke (7 June 2013). "Miss World bikini ban: why it's no victory for feminists". Telegraph. Retrieved 13 December 2013.
- ^ Selvedge: The Fabric of Your Life. Selvedge Ltd. 2005. p. 39.
- ^ a b Lovegrove, Keith (2002). Pageant: The Beauty Contest. teNeues. p. 1967. ISBN 3-8238-5569-7.
- ^ Shin, Han (2004). Beauty with a Purpose. iUniverse. p. 193. ISBN 0-595-30926-7.
- ^ "1950-1955: Navel Maneuvers - The Bikini Breakout". Bikini Science. Archived from the original on 13 October 2013. Retrieved 13 December 2013.
- ^ "Kiki Hakansson, first Miss World passes away at 95 in California". WION. 6 November 2024.
Notes
editExternal links
edit- Kiki Håkansson at IMDb
- Photograph, noting Håkansson's age at time of victory at the Wayback Machine (archived 16 February 2012)
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