Elizabeth Hurley recalls Hugh Grant’s reaction to Versace’s safety pin dress: ‘Christ’

A lot has already been said about this Elizabeth Hurley‘s iconic Versace dress that put her then-boyfriend to shame Hugh Grant on your 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 Dec. 11 episode of The Coop With Kit podcast. “When he first saw me in it, he just said ‘Christ’.”

And can you blame him? The daring design, with its plunging neckline and cutouts held together with gold Medusa head safety pins, was nothing short of daring, even by red carpet standards.

As Donatella Versace explained InStyle in 2019: “That’s when we started to realize the power the red carpet and celebrities have when it comes to creating conversation.” Versace, 69, continued: “Nobody could really imagine such an amazing reaction, could they that Liz would steal the spotlight. “

Elizabeth Hurley’s iconic Versace Safety Pin dress was her “first experience wearing couture”

Not that Hurley’s date seemed to mind. Just 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 were together from 1987 to 2000 and have remained close since their split; the actor is also the godfather of Hurley’s 22-year-old son Damian, with whom she shares their son Steve Bing.)

To Grant’s credit, he was the one who asked for “a favor” after numerous fashion houses rejected his request to loan her a dress for the premiere because they didn’t know who she was. (At the time, Hurley was a model and unknown except for a few small roles in Hollywood.)

“Gianni “I made this dress for a woman who is confident and not afraid to break the rules,” Donatella shared Harper’s Bazaar her late brother in 2023. “Liz embodied all of this in an extraordinary way.”

Perhaps equally extraordinary is that, according to Hurley, the 1994 premiere has become something of an (unofficial) anniversary, recognized and celebrated seemingly every year.

“People call me and say ‘Happy birthday’ to this dress. So yes, this dress has birthdays.” See you next year.