[3] Håkansson was a photo and fashion model[4] when she was crowned Miss Sweden World in 1951 and subsequently won the London pageant.

[5] Håkansson wore a bikini during the crowning ritual, after which she was condemned by the Pope,[6][7] and some countries with strong religious traditions threatened to withdraw delegates.

[9][10] While they were eventually reintroduced to Miss World, Håkansson remains the only winner to have received her crown while wearing one.

[8] Håkansson 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 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.