Much has been said about Elizabeth Hurley’s iconic Versace dress that upstaged then-boyfriend Hugh Grant at his own Four Weddings and a Funeral premiere in 1994.
Grant, 64, had an initial reaction that said it all, as Hurley, 59, revealed on the December 11, episode of the “The Coop With Kit” podcast. “When he saw me in it for the first time he just went, ‘Christ.’’’
And can you blame him? The risqué design, with its plunging neckline and cutouts held together with gold Medusa’s head safety pins, was nothing short of daring, even by red carpet standards.
As Donatella Versace explained to InStyle in 2019: “That’s when we started to realize the power of the red carpet and celebrities in creating topics of conversation.” Versace, 69, continued: “No one could really fathom such an astonishing reaction, or that Liz would steal the spotlight.”
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Not that Hurley’s date seemed to mind. Simply look back at the (many red carpet) shots, and you’ll notice a floppy-haired Grant smiling sheepishly next to her, unable to believe his luck. (The couple dated from 1987 to 2000, and since the break up, have remained close; the actor is also the godfather of Hurley’s 22-year-old son, Damian, whom she shares with Steve Bing.)
To Grant’s credit, he was the one who called in “a favor” after numerous fashion houses turned down his request for her to borrow a dress for the premiere because they didn’t know who she was. (At the time, Hurley was a model and save for a few small roles, was unknown in Hollywood.)
“Gianni made that dress for a woman who is sure of herself and who isn’t afraid to break the rules,” Donatella told Harper’s Bazaar of her late brother in 2023. “Liz embodied all of this in an extraordinary way.”
Perhaps just as extraordinary is that, according to Hurley, the 1994 premiere has become something of an (unofficial) anniversary that’s recognized and seemingly celebrated annually.
“People ring me up and say ‘Happy birthday’ to that dress. So yeah, that dress has birthdays.” Till next year.
