Miss France beauty pageant organiser Geneviève de Fontenay dies at 90

The ‘Lady in the Hat’ has taken her final bow – colourful French personality Geneviève de Fontenay died in her sleep of a heart attack, aged 90, her son has announced.

Known for having been involved in running the Miss France beauty contest and its regional heats from 1954 to 2010, Ms de Fontenay was a well-known figure in France, easily recognisable with her wide-brimmed hats, black and white outfits and bright make-up.

After leaving Miss France she created a rival beauty contest called Miss Nationale before retiring from the pageant business in 2016.

Born in Moselle, Ms de Fontenay was a model in her youth and was elected ‘Miss Elegance’ in Paris in 1957.

In many respects a woman with a traditional, small C conservative worldview – she was horrified when certain Miss France winners were later found to have posed for nude photographs – she was nonetheless also known for supporting left-wing politics.

The Connexion interviewed her in December 2009 when she was in Nice for the final of Miss France 2010, which had Robbie Williams as star guest and fashion designer Jean-Paul Gaultier among its judges.

She told us that the competition was meant to be “glamorous but not sexy” and “was always respectable when I was in charge, though in the last few years there is a tendency for more revealing swimsuits”.

“You don’t pick Miss France based on a parade of belly buttons, it’s about bearing and elegance,” she said.

She added: “Miss France represents la France profonde, the beating heart of France and her traditions, the terroir, our products, things that make up our real richness - not celebrity culture and bad taste.”

She said her favourite Miss France was Yvette Labrousse (1930), a tram driver’s daughter who had “wonderful class” and who had later married the Aga Khan.

You can read our interview here.

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