The Jennifer Lopez Versace Dress: The Jungle Print Story

The Jennifer Lopez Versace dress is the green silk chiffon jungle print dress from Versace Spring Summer 2000, worn to the 42nd Grammy Awards on 23 February 2000. Google’s Eric Schmidt wrote that it was the most popular search query Google had seen. Find its heirs in our Versace edit, among designer dresses and in our Versace prints guide.

• Collection: Versace Spring Summer 2000, cut in green silk chiffon with a jungle print.
• Red carpet: Jennifer Lopez wore it to the 42nd Grammy Awards on 23 February 2000.
• First wearer: Geri Halliwell had worn the same dress before Lopez.
• Search history: Eric Schmidt of Google wrote that the dress led to Google Image Search.
• Reprise: Lopez closed the Versace Spring Summer 2020 show in Milan on 20 September 2019 in a reworked sleeveless version.
• House: Versace was founded in Milan in 1978 by Gianni Versace.

What was the Jennifer Lopez Versace jungle dress?

The dress came from the Versace Spring Summer 2000 collection. It was made in green silk chiffon and printed with a jungle pattern, which gave it two qualities at once. It was light enough to move with every step. It was also bold enough to read from the back of an auditorium.

The collection was designed under Donatella Versace, who had become creative director after her brother Gianni’s death in 1997. Her early seasons had a lot to prove, and this dress did much of the proving. You can read more about her long tenure in our profile, who is Donatella Versace.

Geri Halliwell wore the dress first. Yet it was Jennifer Lopez, on the Grammys red carpet on 23 February 2000, who turned a runway look into a reference point that fashion still returns to. Silk chiffon explains a great deal of the effect. The fabric is sheer and fluid, so the print moves with the body instead of sitting flat on it.

Why did the jungle dress lead to Google Images?

In 2000, a search engine returned a page of links. After the Grammys, people typed the dress into Google, and what they wanted was to see it. Eric Schmidt of Google later wrote that it was the most popular search query the company had seen at that point. He also wrote that the demand led to the creation of Google Image Search.

It is a rare case of a dress shaping how the internet works. It also tells you something about Versace. The house designs for the image as much as for the hanger. A Versace print is meant to be seen at a distance, photographed from every angle and remembered the next morning.

How did Versace bring the jungle dress back in 2019?

Almost twenty years later, Versace made the link explicit. At the Spring Summer 2020 show in Milan on 20 September 2019, a screen showed a Google voice search for the dress. Then Jennifer Lopez walked out to close the show in a reworked sleeveless version of the jungle print.

The finale borrowed from a house tradition of runway theatre. At the Autumn Winter 1991 show, Gianni sent four supermodels down the runway lip-syncing to “Freedom! ’90” by George Michael. Linda Evangelista and Cindy Crawford walked with Naomi Campbell and Christy Turlington. The story of the founder behind those shows is in our piece on who was Gianni Versace.

Why does print still define Versace?

The jungle dress belongs to a longer story of print at Versace. Barocco, the gold baroque scroll, was born for the 1991 runway and became a house signature. Donatella revived it for Spring Summer 2018, the collection that paid tribute to Gianni. The Greca, the Greek key border that frames the Medusa, is the other constant.

Today’s collection keeps adding named prints. ‘The Sun’ runs across silk twill and viscose jersey in yellow and pink. ‘Hanging’ Out’ appears on white silk crêpe marocaine. ‘Broken Jewels’ and ‘New Barocco’ sit on silk twill minis and midis. None of them is the jungle print, and that is the point. Each season Versace writes a new print with the same confidence.

How do you wear a printed Versace dress now?

Start with one rule: one print per look. A Versace print carries the outfit by itself, so keep shoes and bag in a colour pulled from the print. Gold works with almost every house print because the Medusa hardware on the dress is usually gold.

For daytime, a printed silk twill shirt dress with flat sandals feels relaxed and still polished. For evening, a long printed gown needs only small earrings and a slim strappy heel. Browse evening gowns for the long shapes and mini dresses for shorter prints.

If you want the spirit of the Grammys dress without the print, look at green silk chiffon. The draped lime midi below shares the fabric and the colour family. Our Versace dresses guide covers every length, and the Versace size guide converts Italian sizes to UK and US.

Shop the edit

1. Printed Silk Twill Long Dress in Yellow and Pink, USD 4,840. ‘The Sun’ print with long sleeves and a detachable belt; wear it with flat gold sandals.
2. Printed Viscose Jersey Gown in Yellow and Pink, USD 5,190. The same print in liquid jersey, cut with a v-neckline for evening.
3. Silk Crêpe Marocaine Strapless Gown in White and Hanging’ Out Print, USD 6,420. A strapless print gown that needs nothing more than a clutch.
4. Silk-Chiffon Draped Midi Dress in Lime, USD 11,190. Green silk chiffon, the closest echo of the Grammys fabric.
5. Printed Silk Twill Mini Dress in Green, USD 3,250. ‘Broken Jewels’ print on a sleeveless mini; add a gold sandal.
6. Printed Silk Twill Midi Dress in White and Gold, USD 4,230. ‘New Barocco’ on a fit and flare midi for lunches and weddings.
7. Printed Silk Twill Mini Shirt Dress in Black and Print, USD 3,920. Barocco print with Medusa ’95 hardware; style it with sheer black tights in winter.

Frequently asked questions

When did Jennifer Lopez wear the Versace jungle dress?

Jennifer Lopez wore the green Versace jungle print dress to the 42nd Grammy Awards on 23 February 2000. The dress came from the Versace Spring Summer 2000 collection and was made in silk chiffon. Geri Halliwell had worn the same dress before her.

Who wore the Versace jungle dress first?

Geri Halliwell wore the Versace jungle print dress before Jennifer Lopez. Lopez’s appearance at the 42nd Grammy Awards on 23 February 2000 is the one the world remembers, and it is the moment linked to the creation of Google Image Search.

Did the Versace jungle dress really lead to Google Images?

Yes. Eric Schmidt of Google wrote that the Jennifer Lopez Versace dress was the most popular search query Google had seen at the time. He also wrote that the demand to see the dress led Google to create Google Image Search.

Did Jennifer Lopez wear the jungle dress again?

Yes. Jennifer Lopez closed the Versace Spring Summer 2020 show in Milan on 20 September 2019. She wore a reworked sleeveless version of the jungle print dress, after a screen showed a Google voice search for the original.

Can you buy the Versace jungle dress at Coveti?

Coveti does not stock the original jungle print dress. We carry current Versace printed dresses in silk twill, silk crêpe marocaine and viscose jersey, with prints such as ‘The Sun’ and ‘Hanging’ Out’. Every piece is 100% authentic, verified by Coveti.