Post by : Meena
Hassan
Amber Valletta brought a wave of fashion nostalgia to the CFDA Fashion Awards 2025 in New York, arriving on the red carpet in the green, jungle-print Versace gown she first modelled more than two decades ago. The 51-year-old originally presented the plunging design on the Versace Spring/Summer 2000 runway.
On the red carpet, Valletta said it was her first time wearing the piece in public and called the moment particularly special, describing the garment as genuinely magical.
The choice was also intended as a tribute. Valletta shared behind-the-scenes clips on social media and confirmed she wore the dress in honor of Donatella Versace, who received the CFDA’s Positive Change Award for her philanthropic work.
“It feels meaningful to honour Donatella, who is very deserving of this recognition for her charitable efforts,” Valletta said.
A Look That Changed Fashion Forever
The jungle-print gown first attracted attention when Valletta modelled it in 1999, but Jennifer Lopez cemented its place in pop culture when she wore it to the 2000 Grammy Awards. That appearance became a landmark fashion moment and is often linked to the later creation of Google Images.
Lopez has said the decision to wear the dress was immediate when she tried it on: “That’s it. That’s the dress.”
Since then, celebrities including Tyra Banks, Lisa Rinna and Donatella Versace herself have referenced the bold print, and Lopez revisited the look on the runway in 2019.
Reflecting on the dress’s impact, Valletta noted that the look has generated immense online interest and even joked that it “broke the internet” when Lopez wore it, adding with a smile that she had worn it first.
A Star-Studded Night
The CFDA Awards drew prominent names from fashion and entertainment under the leadership of the organisation’s chairman and CEO. Still, Valletta’s revival of the iconic Versace gown became one of the evening’s most talked-about moments.
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