'Off Campus' costume designer reveals how Allie’s viral Jennifer Lopez dress came together

Mika Abdalla’s character wore a recreation of Jennifer Lopez’s green Versace jungle dress from the 2000 Grammys

One of the most talked-about moments from Off Campus almost never looked as effortless as it appeared on screen.

The Prime Video series went viral after Mika Abdalla’s character Allie Hayes appeared at a Halloween party wearing a recreation of Jennifer Lopez’s iconic green Versace jungle dress from the 2000 Grammy Awards while dancing to “On the Floor” with Dean Di Laurentis. The scene quickly exploded online and even earned Lopez’s approval.

Now, Off Campus costume designer Charlene Akuamoah has shared the behind-the-scenes details of how the viral look was created.

Speaking to Page Six Style, Akuamoah revealed that recreating the famous plunging dress required extensive support from fashion tape and specialised undergarments to ensure the revealing design stayed in place during filming. She specifically highlighted products from Booby Tape and Nippies, praising them for their reliability and inclusive range of skin tones.

The challenge was particularly significant because the scene involved dancing and movement, meaning the costume had to remain secure while still maintaining the illusion of Lopez’s famously gravity-defying Grammys look. Akuamoah described the products as her “go-to” solutions for achieving the effect.

The dress itself became one of the breakout fashion moments of the show. According to Abdalla, the recreation was built entirely from scratch and required multiple fittings before filming. The actress previously revealed she was “so taped in” while wearing the outfit and underwent five separate fittings to perfect the look.

Akuamoah also expressed admiration for the original Versace design and the impact it has had on fashion history. Lopez’s jungle dress remains one of the most iconic red-carpet looks ever worn and is frequently credited with helping inspire the creation of Google Image Search after people flooded the internet looking for photos of the outfit following the 2000 Grammys.

The Off Campus scene resonated so strongly with viewers that Lopez herself responded publicly. After clips of the moment spread across social media, the singer reposted footage from the show and wrote, “love this shooooww”.

The viral attention eventually led to a real-life crossover between Lopez and Abdalla. The pair later filmed a social media video together recreating the scene, dancing to “On the Floor” and celebrating the unexpected resurgence of the song more than a decade after its original release.

Akuamoah told Page Six that the overwhelming response to the costume caught the creative team by surprise. What began as a tribute to one of pop culture’s most memorable fashion moments has since become one of the defining viral scenes from Off Campus’ first season.