The most enigmatic figures on television are ones who draw forth the most emphatic of detractors and devoted of acolytes. We could be talking about Sex and the City‘s Carrie Bradshaw, but actually, we’re talking about the dress that grew a life and spawned a history of its own: the John Galliano for Dior newspaper print dress, which made its debut on our TV sets in 2001.

If Carrie is one of the most fashionable of the aforementioned divisive set, then this dress was surely one of the fashion set’s most divisive. It’s been touted as an iconic fashion moment of the series, but Galliano first sent it down the runway as part of his 2000 ‘Hobo Chic’ collection, which riffed on what houseless people wore on city streets. “Galliano was inspired by the homeless people that he saw on the streets of Paris, presumably at 3AM during a Moët and coke-fuelled bender,” noted the Instagram account @everyoutfitonsatc in the caption of a post highlighting the infamous dress. 

“He also drew inspiration from Tramp Balls, which were essentially lavish 1920’s-30’s-era parties where Parisian socialites dressed up like poor people for fun. The show enraged critics and inspired the unforgettable “Derelicte” collection in Zoolander. Not fully satisfied with his flagrant aestheticisation of poverty, Galliano reworked the newsprint theme into his next ready-to-wear show and this dress was born.” 

But that’s not to say that newsprint hasn’t been done since—or before. More than 65 years before Carrie wore the dress on episode 17 of the third season of the show, Elsa Schiaparelli crafted a dress made out of her own newspaper clippings—all the way back in 1935.  After Galliano’ revival of the dress, and its ascent to fame on SATC,  Diane von Furstenberg created a wrap dress (of course) made from newspaper print, and Versace pitched in with its very own take. 

Now, American clothing brand Reformation, known for its simple, printed dresses and prairie-perfect off-the-shoulder tops, is making its own version—but this one takes a contemporary, environmentally aware approach, as opposed to the mild flirtation with poverty porn that informed the Dior original. 

Like Carrie’s, it’s printed with a collage of clippings, but these ones are designed to look like vintage magazine clippings about the environment, emblazoned with  headlines like “Hell Freezes Over” and “World Peace Achieved”. Its purpose?  So “you can let anyone who glances at your butt know that you’re an environmentalist,” according to the brand.  While that gives off a strong  initial whiff of performative environmentalism, Reformation’s environmental credentials are highly rated.  The brand was at the forefront of using recycled fabrics and eco-friendly materials like Tencel, and reuses offcuts created during the manufacturing process. It even provides a RefScale for each of its pieces, breaking down the item’s impact on the environment. If you’re looking to channel Carrie, but add in ten-fold more social consciousness, it might be the dress for you.