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‘Summer House’ Star Ciara Miller Channels Tyra Banks’ ‘Coyote Ugly’ Era in a Sultry, Skin-Baring VMAs Look

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Fashion loves a good throwback, and few eras get mined as enthusiastically as the turn of the millennium. Red carpets have been bringing back low-rise silhouettes and early-2000s attitude for a while now. Ciara Miller’s VMAs look took that trend and gave it a very specific, very iconic reference point.

Miller is best known as a longtime cast member of ‘Summer House,’ but her profile has been expanding well beyond reality TV. She is currently competing on ‘Dancing With the Stars,’ and she starred in a music video earlier this year. That made the VMAs a natural stage for her latest fashion statement.

Entertainment Weekly highlighted the moment on X with a side-by-side image showing that the ‘Summer House’ star recreated Tyra Banks’ iconic ‘Coyote Ugly’ look. Miller confirmed the inspiration herself while speaking with Entertainment Tonight on the red carpet. She also described her Tom Ford platforms as “sick,” a playful nod to how tall they were.

The comparison speaks for itself. Miller wore a brown bralette-style top with laced details, low-slung brown bottoms, and a fringed armband, with long, voluminous auburn waves echoing the famous film still of Banks. Other outlets described the bottoms as lace-up leather pants paired with a matching leather bra.

The details stayed minimal. Miller added a black leather belt with a silver buckle and black platform heels, plus silver rings and a brown leather armband. Her makeup was a smoky eye with a nude lip.

Hello Beautiful noted that she went low-rise for the VMAs, bringing back the sexier side of early-2000s fashion. One outlet said it wasn’t clear who designed the look. Miller has previously said she likes to find up-and-coming designers, often by scrolling Instagram.

‘Coyote Ugly’ is a 2000 film about Piper Perabo’s aspiring songwriter, Violet Sanford, who stumbles into a job at a New York bar where the women serve drinks between dance routines. Banks starred as Zoe in the movie alongside Perabo. The film has stayed in the cultural conversation, with a 25th anniversary screening held in Santa Monica in February 2025, attended by Banks, Maria Bello, Izabella Miko, and Melanie Lynskey.

That renewed affection made the timing perfect. Banks herself has a long history in pop culture, from modeling to creating ‘America’s Next Top Model’ in 2003. Referencing her ‘Coyote Ugly’ character felt like a nod to a generation of viewers who grew up on that era.

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Miller wasn’t at the Peacock Theater just to pose. She introduced Shaboozey’s performance of “Cowgirl,” after starring in the song’s music video, which dropped in June. The track earned Shaboozey 2 VMAs nominations, for Best Country and Best Cinematography.

The pairing has been a fan favorite. Shaboozey has said people often come up to him to say they love Ciara even more. Men’s Journal also reported that Snoop Dogg crowned her the “Queen of Summer House” during the ceremony.

The ballroom was never far from her mind. Miller and her partner Brandon Armstrong were scheduled to perform a cha-cha to “Never Too Much” by Luther Vandross on the Tuesday after the ceremony. She joked about her ankles when it came to the platform heels, a reference to her upcoming dance performance.

Her packed schedule also shaped her personal life. She said her rehearsal calendar leaves little room for romance, following a high-profile breakup involving her ex West Wilson and best friend Amanda Batula. She has made it clear that dancing is where her focus lies for now.

Reaction was overwhelmingly positive. One outlet called it one of her best looks ever, while another described it as serving some serious heat. Miller has said she tries to match the vibe of the event and think of herself as a character when getting dressed, which explains why a film-inspired outfit fit so naturally.

It also reflects a broader lesson about red carpet style. A well-chosen reference can turn a good look into a conversation, and Miller made the most of hers. Not every homage lands, but this one was instantly recognizable.

Did Ciara Miller nail her Tyra Banks-inspired ‘Coyote Ugly’ VMAs look?

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