Why are netizens talking about Ara Mina, Beyoncé and Kim Kardashian? Beyoncé and Kim recently went viral for wearing extremely low-back, thong-baring evening gowns. But wait, back when Facebook and Twitter were not launched yet, Ara Mina had worn a similar gown. That was in 2002, and, just like the international stars, the 41-year-old actress became the talk of the town at the time.
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On Sunday, November 2, 2020, Beyoncé took social media by storm with her comeback on the cover of British Vogue for its December 2020 issue. Beyoncé looked regal in a custom Christopher John Rogers evening gown, which bared a crystal-encrusted Agent Provocateur thong.
Fashion lovers were quick to point out that the gown was similar to one worn by reality star Kim Kardashian a few weeks before. On October 17, Kim showed off her red string thong while wearing a black dress from Givenchy's Spring 2020 collection. The dress was designed by Matthew Williams, who was recently named as the brand's new creative director.
@insidethemood did a side-by-side comparison of their OOTDs on Instagram, and asked its followers who wore it better.
Celebrity photographer BJ Pascual loved both of their looks and mentioned that Ara donned the style 18 years ago.
BJ wrote in the comments section, "Both!! But ALSO @therealaramina [emoji] google 'ara mina mano po gown' #2002 hahaha @eldzsmejia @lynalumno @jellyeugenio"

PEP.ph (Philippine Entertainment Portal) took to Google to search for the gown BJ referred to as Ara Mina's "Mano Po gown." In the movie Mano Po, Ara wore a red gown by Filipino fashion designer Maxie Cinco, and it was as revealing as the gowns of Kim and Beyoncé. The difference: Ara confidently bared the top part of her bum and did not wear a thong. Mano Po was Regal Films' entry to the 2002 Metro Manila Film Festival.
The latest poll on Twitter included Ara, who received support from Pinoy netizens.
A user wrote, "Nice try Kim LOL"
Another posted, "Miss Ara Mina walked so Kim Kardashian could run. The impact of Filipino pop culture."
On Instagram, Ara expressed how grateful she is just for being compared to Kim and Beyoncé. She wrote, "Overwhelmed with all the posts, and kind words. Thank you all, it's an honor to be compared to these international stars."
This story originally appeared on Pep.ph.
* Minor edits have been made by the Preview.ph editors.
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