HER is honoring her Philippine heritage in the near future “Beauty and the Beast” ABC special. Ahead of its premiere on ABC on December 15, followed by Disney+ the following day, the network provided the first shots of the two-hour TV special. SHE (aka Gabriella Sarmiento Wilson) takes on the lead role of Belle. Based on the sneak peek, the singer-songwriter wore at least three different outfits throughout the special, including Belle’s blue casual wear, signature yellow evening gown and Pink dress with matching cape.
Throughout the “Beauty and the Beast” cartoon original, Belle’s everyday outfit consists of a simple white blouse and light blue bib. Emmy Award Winning Costume Designer Toybina MarinaHER’s adaptation for HER is similar, featuring a patterned blue camisole and an added floral apron. However, an eagle-eyed fan on Twitter first noticed a distinctive embroidery outlining the apron. “Bel” is written in Baybayin, an ancient Filipino script, to represent the character’s name. Although the use of Baybayin declined in the 17th century due to Spanish colonization, as the user @kryspia referenced, the Filipinos have since taken back and revived the script.
For the project’s poster, the Filipino-American actor is seen in a metallic gold suit with a floor-length overcoat over her jacket, a chic break. , modern on Princess Belle’s evening gown. In other behind-the-scenes photos, she wears a bright pink cape and matching cape, which resembles the look of the cartoon character in the snow.
HER, who co-stars Josh Groban as the Beast in the TV special, recently said she’s excited to breathe new life into her portrayal of Belle in an exclusive behind-the-scenes clip shared share with POPSUGAR. “Belle has a power. You see that in the movies, but I think I’m really trying to show that and show women they can be anything they want to be,” she said. “Of course, no one has ever seen a black Belle and a Filipino, so it’s great for young black Filipino girls to see a Disney princess that looks like them.”
See more photos of HER outfit from the pre-release “Beauty and the Beast” special.
