Amber Valletta arrived at the CFDA Fashion Awards in New York with a touch of nostalgic glamour, stepping onto the red carpet in the vivid green, jungle-print Versace gown she first modelled more than two decades ago. Now 51, Valletta originally walked the plunging design down the Versace Spring/Summer 2000 runway—a look later cemented in pop culture by Jennifer Lopez at the 2000 Grammys.
“I’ve never actually worn this dress out in public until tonight,” Valletta told reporters on the carpet. “It feels particularly meaningful to be here—this gown truly feels magical.”
The moment was intimate as well as stylish. Valletta posted behind-the-scenes clips on her social channels, explaining that the decision to wear the dress was meant as a salute to Donatella Versace, who was being recognized with the CFDA’s Positive Change Award for her philanthropic work and global influence.
“Honouring Donatella tonight feels right—she’s fully deserving of the Positive Change Award for everything she’s given back,” Valletta added.
A Dress That Altered Fashion History
The jungle-print creation first made waves when Valletta modelled it in 1999, but it was Jennifer Lopez’s 2000 Grammys appearance that burned the gown into collective memory. The dress became such a viral moment that it’s often credited with helping spark the creation of Google Images.
Lopez later recalled that choosing the green number was immediate the moment she tried it on: “That’s it. That’s the dress.”
Since then, celebrities including Tyra Banks, Lisa Rinna and Donatella Versace herself have nodded to the daring print. Lopez also paid homage to the gown with a 2019 runway reappearance.
Reflecting on the dress’s outsized legacy, Valletta mused that it’s been searched and shared endlessly—“it arguably broke the internet when it first appeared,” she said with a grin—and she was proud to have been the original wearer.
CFDA Night Full of Luminaries
The CFDA Awards drew fashion and entertainment leaders from around the world, but Amber Valletta’s revival of the jungle-print Versace gown became the evening’s most talked-about highlight.
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