There has been a lot of talk surrounding Elizabeth Hurley‘s famous Versace gown that stole the show from her then-partner Hugh Grant at the premiere of Four Weddings and a Funeral in 1994.
Grant, who is now 64, had a simple yet telling reaction when he first saw Hurley, who is 59, in the dress, as she shared on an episode of “The Coop with Kit” podcast on December 11. She recalled, “When he saw me in it for the first time he just went, ‘Christ.’’
And who could blame him? The bold design featured a plunging neckline and strategic cutouts held together with iconic gold Medusa head safety pins, making it a truly daring choice 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.”
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.
