25 years on Elizabeth Hurley stuns again in gold safety pin Versace dress

The right dress can turn a starlet into a star overnight, just ask Elizabeth Hurley.

The world's love affair with the British actress/model was sealed when she arrived at the premiere of Four Weddings and a Funeral, in 1994, with her then-boyfriend Hugh Grant, wearing that iconic black Versace gown.

Designed by the Italian fashion house's late founder, Gianni Versace, Hurley commanded the spotlight in the black, thigh-high gown that was pinned together with gold safety pins.

The look propelled her further into stardom and the slinky gown remains one of the most memorable red carpet dresses of all time.

Now, the 53-year-old has recreated the iconic look, twenty-five years later, in a new shoot for US Harper’s Bazaar.

Draped in a new version of the dress, from the brand's pre-autumn 2019 collection, the mother-of-one looks almost as exactly as she did walking the red carpet at Leicester Garden back in 1994.

Featuring an asymmetrical long sleeve, the gown offers a touch more mystery than the '94 version. However, the thigh-high slit and over-sized gold hardware remain.

"I was so unprepared for what happened that night. I urgently needed to find a dress to wear for Hugh's premiere, and in those days, I had no idea about fashion," Hurley tells the magazine about the dress that will forever be linked to her.

"I remember going to an office where they (a PR agent) literally fished a dress out of a white plastic bag. 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."