Jennifer Lopez's Jungle Dress Was Recreated for Off Campus — "I Knew It Needed to Be Perfect," Says the Costume Designer

Costume designer Charlene Akuamoah has revealed how she kept Mika Abdalla's recreation of Jennifer Lopez's iconic 2000 Versace jungle dress in place during a viral dance sequence in Amazon Prime's "Off Campus" — and the answer involves a lot of tape.

The scene drew significant attention on social media and reportedly caught Jennifer Lopez's own attention — prompting praise from fans who recognized the tribute. However, Abdalla's character, Allie’s daring look seemed magnificent indeed, but there’s also a lot more happening behind the scenes than what the fans actually saw, reported the Page Six. Akuamoah kept the plunging dress exactly where it needed to be.

She said, "Our go-to tape was Booby Tape," adding that she also "really loves" Nippies tape and nipple covers. ("They have an incredible array of skin tones, which is always so important to me," she explained.)

Booby tape is a double-sided adhesive product used by stylists to secure low-cut garments without a bra — a common tool on red carpets and in costume departments.

The most-discussed scene shows Allie dancing with Dean, played by Stephen Kalyn, to Jennifer Lopez's "On the Floor" — wearing the Versace recreation. The combination of a deep plunge neckline and a movement-heavy dance sequence presented a significant styling challenge — one that Akuamoah said the tape handled without issue.

Akuamoah further admitted that she knew from the start that recreating such an iconic fashion moment came with serious pressure.

"When I read the script and learned that they wanted Allie in that dress, I knew it needed to be perfect; it's Versace!" she said. "My earliest years in my career were in fashion, so I have a reverence for Donatella."

Coming to the original jungle-print gown, it is one of the most famous dresses in pop culture history, and Akuamoah knew that fans would be paying close attention to it. She said she did not anticipate the scale of the response the scene would generate.

"From the very first fitting we all knew it was going to be a moment, but could not have imagined the level that it reached," Akuamoah said. The designer further stated that the overwhelming response reflects that truly iconic fashion never loses its power. "It's so incredible and such a reminder that a good fashion piece will make you feel something no matter how many times it comes back."

Akuamoah said the response had been overwhelming and hoped the moment reminded fans that the craft behind iconic screen fashion is rarely visible — but always essential.