‘Summer House’ Star Ciara Miller Recreates Tyra Banks’ Iconic ‘Coyote Ugly’ Look at the VMAs
Nostalgia has become one of fashion’s favorite currencies, and few eras get mined as enthusiastically as the turn of the millennium. That made Ciara Miller’s VMAs look feel perfectly timed, arriving at a moment when one beloved bar-dancing classic is enjoying a genuine second life. ‘Coyote Ugly’, the 2000 film about Piper Perabo’s aspiring songwriter who stumbles into a job at a New York bar where the women serve drinks between dances on the bar, has never really left pop culture’s rearview mirror.
The movie’s cast gave fans a fresh dose of nostalgia when they reunited in Santa Monica for a 25th anniversary screening and Q&A benefiting the Global Empowerment Mission LA Wildfire Relief Mission. Tyra Banks, who played the no-nonsense bartender Zöe, orchestrated the event, and she has long been open about wanting to bring the franchise back, having revealed on ‘The Kelly Clarkson Show’ in 2020 that talks were underway for a sequel or series.
That enduring affection is exactly what Miller tapped into at the MTV Video Music Awards on Sunday. Entertainment Weekly highlighted the moment on X, sharing a side-by-side image showing that the ‘Summer House’ star recreated Banks’ iconic ‘Coyote Ugly’ look while attending the ceremony.
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 in her denim top and dark leather pants. Hello Beautiful summed up the silhouette neatly, noting that Miller went low-rise for the VMAs.
Ciara Miller has arrived to the #VMAs! pic.twitter.com/iOyxsn07lf
— Queens of Bravo (@queensofbravo) September 27, 2026
Miller confirmed the inspiration herself while speaking with Entertainment Tonight on the red carpet, and she finished the outfit with a pair of Tom Ford platforms she described as “sick.” Those towering heels came with a playful warning, too, as she joked, “God bless my ankles and, hopefully, we can make it to the ballroom.”
Summer House’s Ciara Miller introduces Shaboozey at the #VMAs pic.twitter.com/J48s96SNeS
— Deadline (@DEADLINE) September 28, 2026
That ballroom reference wasn’t just a throwaway line. Miller is currently competing on ‘Dancing With the Stars’, where she and partner Brandon Armstrong were scheduled to perform a cha-cha to “Never Too Much” by Luther Vandross on Tuesday.
Her schedule has clearly been packed with choreography and camera direction lately. “[With] ‘Dancing With the Stars’ and this music video, I’m taking a lot of direction from straight men these days, and it’s crazy,” Miller quipped while speaking to Rolling Stone, before praising Shaboozey for how well his music video came together.
Ciara Miller arrives at MTV's 42nd #VMAs in LA pic.twitter.com/NlZY94yRKA
— Deadline (@DEADLINE) September 27, 2026
Miller wasn’t at the Peacock Theater simply to show off her outfit. She introduced Shaboozey’s performance of “Cowgirl,” months after starring in the song’s music video, which dropped in June. The track earned Shaboozey 2 nominations for Best Country and Best Cinematography.
The partnership has turned into a genuine fan favorite. Shaboozey has said that so many people approach him to say they love Miller even more than him, and he has embraced it, calling her a superstar with a lot of pull.
Tyra Banks dancing in the diner in Coyote Ugly is pure cinema pic.twitter.com/kbtzsqETdT
— 𝚃𝙷𝙺 (@Thehorrorkid) March 10, 2025
Part of what makes this tribute land is how much of the original film’s DNA still resonates. Banks has shared memorable stories from the production, including tearing her meniscus while rehearsing the movie’s dance routines, a reminder that those bar-top numbers were far more demanding than they looked on screen.
tyra banks in 'coyote ugly', 2000 pic.twitter.com/kXuBUR4Min
— culture (@notgwendalupe) April 13, 2023
Miller’s version captured that same fearless, sexy swagger while updating it with a cowgirl-adjacent brown palette that neatly matched her role introducing “Cowgirl.” Fans on X seemed to approve, with one reply under EW’s post boldly declaring that Miller wore it better.
What do you think of Ciara Miller recreating Tyra Banks’ iconic Coyote Ugly look at the VMAs?
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