Elizabeth Hurley revisits iconic Versace safety pin dress 25 years after Four Weddings premiere

Elizabeth Hurley has revisited her infamous Versace safety pin dress, 25 years after wearing the original gown to the premiere of Four Weddings and a Funeral.

The actress wore an updated version of the black cutaway dress in a new shoot for the April issue of Harper’s Bazaar, as she admitted that she was completely “unprepared” for the attention her outfit received back in 1994.

“I was so unprepared for what happened that night,” she told the magazine.

“I urgently needed to find a dress to wear for Hugh [Grant]’s premiere, and in those days I had no idea about fashion.”

She went on to reveal that she was eventually given the opportunity to borrow a gown from a fashion PR agency, and explained that her preparation for the showbiz event was less than glamorous.

“I remember going to an office where they literally fished a dress out of a white plastic bag,” she said.

“I took it home and did my own hair and makeup, fighting Hugh for the mirror, which wasn’t even full-length, in our tiny one-bedroom flat.

“It was all very unglamorous compared to how things get done these days.”

Hurley, who attended the event with then-boyfriend Grant, appeared on newspaper front pages around the world after the premiere.

Shortly after, she signed a major modelling contract with Estee Lauder and landed a string of film roles, including a part in the Austin Powers franchise.

The Versace design has become one of the Italian fashion house’s most memorable looks, and stars including Jennifer Lawrence, Lady Gaga and Dua Lipa have since worn safety-pin styles inspired by the 1994 original.

Hurley went on to reveal that although she can still fit into the dress a quarter of a century later, she wouldn’t wear it again.

“Just because it still fits doesn’t mean I would wear it today – it wouldn’t be appropriate!” she told the magazine.

The full interview is in the April 2019 issue of Harper's Bazaar, out now