The Prime Video romance series 'Off Campus,' based on Elle Kennedy's bestselling book franchise, has become a cultural sensation, largely due to a standout costume moment that caught the attention of global pop icon Jennifer Lopez. In a viral scene, Mika Abdalla, who plays the main character Allie Hayes, wears a recreation of Lopez's iconic 2000 Grammys Versace jungle dress. The clip landed on Lopez's social media feed, prompting her to praise the show.
Jennifer Lopez Praises 'Off Campus' on Social Media
The scene occurs when Allie encounters hockey player Dean Di Laurentis (Stephen Kalyn) at a Halloween party. According to reports, Jennifer Lopez's original dress was first modeled by Amber Valletta in Versace's Spring/Summer 2000 show in 1999 and was reintroduced on Lopez, now 56, who wore a reimagined version in 2019. As the clip gained momentum online, it reached Lopez's X feed. The icon reposted the video with the caption, 'love this shooooww,' amplifying the viral moment and drawing more attention to the costume and series.
Mika Abdalla Details the Process of Wearing the Recreation Dress
Mika Abdalla, 26, previously discussed the creation and wearing of the dress in an interview with Betches UK on TikTok. 'It was unreal. The dress is built from scratch. My first fitting was like, put on this nude leotard and we're going to cut it up and pin all this stuff to you,' Abdalla said. 'It was five fittings. It was insane, I was so taped in. I was ready to dance the night away.' In another interview, the actress admitted she had a feeling the scene, which is not included in Elle Kennedy's book series, would resonate with audiences. 'I had a feeling, especially because it happened so early on,' she said. 'When we were getting close to the dress being finished, and I saw what it was going to look like, when we were shooting it, I was like, huh, I think people are going to like this.'
More About 'Off Campus'
The romance series premiered on Prime Video and is based on the 'Off Campus' books. The franchise consists of five books, four of which focus on the love lives of different players on Briar University's hockey team. The adaptation captures the essence of Kennedy's beloved series while adding fresh moments, such as the Jennifer Lopez dress recreation, that capture modern audiences' attention and drive social media conversation.
