The iconic Safety pin dress turns 30 exactly: 5 curiosities about the legendary dress worn by Elizabeth Hurley

Is a dress worth a career? If we talk about the Safety pin dress, absolutely yes. It was the year 1994, precisely May 11th, when the posterboy Englishman of the moment, Hugh Grant, is decidedly overshadowed at the London premiere of the film Four weddings and a funeral, not so much by his companion and girlfriend, the then virtually unknown Elizabeth Hurley, but byblack dress with safety pins signed Versace which would have made whoever was wearing it a mega star in just a few flashes.

Elizabeth Hurley and Hugh Grant in 1994. Photo Getty

Dave Benett/Getty Images

After the event, in fact, Hurley's life has taken a drastic turn extreme makeover. That dress, «that dress», as it was later renamed, which became viral ante litteram at the time, represents after three decades from the first appearance one of the most iconic pop culture moments of the 90s. And thanks to him, practically on everyone's lips right away, the model was then offered to be the face of the cosmetics giant Estée Lauder, the role in one of the films of the saga Austin Powers and to launch her own swimwear line. In addition to the fact that I had the opportunity to establish a long-standing human and professional friendship with the Versace maison.

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Today the iconic dress has a life of its own, so much so that it has its own page Wikipedia like every celeb that is respected. The Safety pin dress It became legend not only for its unique design, but also because it was so unexpected change the vision of the world of fashion: you can love it or hate it, in fact, but never forget it. Here, then, five curiosities of the most famous red carpet dress in the world.

1. It launched not one, but two careers

Elizabeth Hurley was a very little-known actress and model when she set the red carpet alight in 1994. So much so that I struggled to find a brand to lend her a dress for the London premiere of her then boyfriend's film. Hugh Grant himself confessed in the BBC documentary Hugh Grant: A Life on Screen that numerous fashion houses turned down Hurley's request to borrow a dress for the event because they didn't know who she was.

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Until Versace agreed to give her one: «The really interesting thing about that dress is that I had never borrowed an item of clothing before and almost no one knew Versace in England at the time. At the time the brand didn't even have an advertising office in London”, Elizabeth Hurley later said in an interview a few years ago.

2. It changed the meaning of the red carpet

Elizabeth Hurley in 1994. Getty Photo

Elizabeth Hurley in 1994. Getty Photo

Dave Benett/Getty Images

In an era where red carpet dressing was dominated by the elegant sobriety of designers like Giorgio Armani, Liz Hurley alone, through camera shots, showed another way to become glamorous, that is, using the red carpet as a career move with dresses that could be absolutely daring.

«Gianni made that dress for a confident woman who isn't afraid to break the rules. On that red carpet Liz embodied all this in an extraordinary way”, said Donatella Versace in numerous interviews in the years following the fateful premiere, adding: “People all over the world started talking about that dress. That's when we started to realize the power of red carpet and celebrities in creating topics of conversation.”

3. It has been revived by Versace several times

Gianni Versace between Naomi Campbell and Christy Turlington at the Spring/Summer 1994 fashion show. Photo Getty

Gianni Versace between Naomi Campbell and Christy Turlington at the Spring-Summer 1994 fashion show. Photo Getty

Michel Arnaud/Getty Images

The bold, safety pin-studded evening gown was originally worn by Helena Christensen in Spring-Summer 1994 fashion show by Versace. To create it Gianni Versace was inspired by the punk subculture (hence the pins) and the Indian sari (as seen in the figure-hugging design). A few years later Christopher Kane explicitly referenced it through safety pin-studded mini dresses in his debut collection for Versace's youngest label, Versus, in 2009.

Versace AutumnWinter 201415

Versace Autumn-Winter 2014/15

Donatella then took it up again in several collections: among others, in 2014, to celebrate twenty years of success, he proposed it again on the catwalk in this version reloaded. Today it exists in different variations, from mini length to long evening dress, while golden safety pins with the Medusa logo have become an accessory signature for the maison.

4. It is very convenient

Contrary to what it seems, the Safety pin dress, according to Elizabeth Hurley herself, is very comfortable. Well yes: made with black silk and lycra, with a plunging neckline, thin straps and cut-out sides, each held together with a gold Medusa head safety pin on the bust, as well as six safety pins strategically placed along the bodice, the famous dress according to the actress and model does not gave her no problems.

Even if the malfunction might have seemed around the corner, Liz Hurley declared: «The safety pin on the skin didn't bother me at all and the dress practically never moved. Before leaving home, I did some tests. I remember bending over, touching my toes, and everything stayed put. I knew I wouldn't have any problems.”

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5. It has had many famous homages

Not just Elizabeth Hurley herself, who wore a version reloaded of the famous Safety pin dress in 2019 for a photo shoot on Harper's Bazaar USA, but to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the dress, the model's son, Damian Hurley, paid a sartorial tribute to it for the launch of his campaign as Pat McGrath's testimonial. The then seventeen-year-old wore a custom-made Versace dress decorated with golden pins big size.

Damian Hurley.  Getty photo

Damian Hurley. Getty photo

Darren Gerrish/Getty Images

In 2012 the Safety pin dress had been sported by Lady Gaga to meet Donatella Versace in Milan. However, the dress has influenced many other moments on the red carpet over time. Last year Taylor Swiftt seemed to be inspired by Hurley MTV Video Music Award when she wore an asymmetrical black dress from the Italian fashion house. At the 2023 Met Gala Anne Hathaway wore a version in tweed and pearls in tribute to Karl Lagerfeld, the theme of the event.

Anne Hathaway at the 2023 Met Gala. Photo Getty

Anne Hathaway at the 2023 Met Gala. Photo Getty

Cindy Ord/MG23/Getty Images

And at the Cannes Film Festival in the same year between wearing the safety pin dress Third Millennium edition she was the model Stella Maxwell.

Stella Maxwell at the 2023 Cannes Film Festival. Photo Getty

Stella Maxwell at the 2023 Cannes Film Festival. Photo Getty

Dominique Charriau

Source: Vanity Fair

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