The “Jungle Dress” is back, and it looks just as good years later!
Amber Valletta proved that true style is timeless at the CFDA Fashion Awards in New York City on Monday night. The supermodel, , sent shockwaves through social media when she stepped onto the red carpet wearing the exact green leafy Versace gown she first debuted on the runway in .
The dress—featuring that daring, navel-grazing plunge and sheer thigh-high slit—became a piece of pop culture history shortly after Valletta first wore it, thanks to a now-legendary appearance by Jennifer Lopez at the nd Grammy Awards.
But on Monday, Valletta reclaimed her throne as the original muse.
The model looked “unreal” according to fans on X (formerly Twitter), as she posed in the crystal-embellished number. She elevated the tropical look with a side-parted strawberry blonde blowout and a dramatic smoky eye, adding a touch of modern sparkle with diamond earrings.
The nostalgia didn’t stop with the dress. Valletta shared a sweet moment on the carpet with Donatella Versace herself. The designer, , was the woman of the hour, receiving the Positive Change award for her tireless philanthropy and support of emerging talent.
Naturally, the internet had a lot to say about the fashion flashback. “One of the most famous dresses in history. It’s really beautiful,” one fan gushed on TikTok, while another added, “Eternally gorgeous .”
While Valletta was the first to walk it down the catwalk, Jennifer Lopez is often credited with making the dress a household name. In a interview with Vogue, Lopez, , recalled how the sheer volume of people searching for photos of her in the dress actually inspired the creation of Google Images.
Lopez revealed at the time that her then-stylist, Andrea Lieberman, actually begged her not to wear the gown because Donatella and Spice Girl Geri Halliwell had already been spotted in it.
“I told her, ‘Well, you bought it, and it looks the best, so I’m going to wear it,'” Lopez recalled. “I guess every generation needs its iconic kind of Marilyn dress, and this is that dress for this generation.”
Valletta wasn’t the only one bringing the vintage heat to the CFDA carpet. Ariana DeBose also turned heads in a gold metal mesh Versace dress, famously originally worn by Cindy Crawford.
Whether it’s the year or , one thing is clear: the Versace jungle print still reigns supreme.
Would you like me to look up more of the best-dressed looks from this year’s CFDA Fashion Awards?
