If there’s anyone in this world who can pay homage to the iconic Elizabeth Hurley in the exact same dress 29 years later and make it look just as iconic, it’s It-Brit Maya Jama.
Stepping out onto the MTV EMAs red carpet on Sunday night, the Love Island host paid tribute to the award-winning actress in that thigh-high slit gown.
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Far from subtle, the gilded Versace midi dress in question featured a selection of gold-toned safety pins fixing the cutout waist feature together and accentuating the straps.
The elegant black dress fitted Maya like a glove, with the plunging neckline accentuating her curvaceous figure.
For glam, Maya let her long brunette locks roam free in a volumized loosely curled side part style while her makeup look radiated a healthy sunkissed glow.
Maya’s dress choice was made famous by a young Elizabeth Hurley in 1994 when she donned the sleek-chic dress to attend her then-boyfriend, Hugh Grant’s movie premiere, Four Weddings and a Funeral. Back then, she was just starting out in the industry, playing a few small roles on the silver screen. Soon after she turned heads in the risque red carpet ensemble, her career began to skyrocket and within a year she was named the face of Estée Lauder and was cast in Austin Powers, Bedazzled and Inspector Morse.
Liz styled her 1994 ensemble with a selection of chunky gold jewellery, a pair of black platform heels and a fresh-faced makeup look.
In an exclusive interview with Harper’s Bazaar in 2019, Liz reminisced on the night and the dress, saying: “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.” After contacting a PR agency that let her borrow that gown for the night, Liz recalled doing her “own hair and makeup, fighting Hugh for the mirror, which wasn’t even full-length, in our tiny one-bedroom flat.”
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It’s unlikely that Liz knew just how iconic she was set to become all those years ago, the idea of having a style maven like Maya Jama replicating her look likely unfathomable.
This year’s MTV EMAs took place in Manchester’s Co-op Live arena. The opulent event saw famed faces, including Rita Ora, Shawn Mendes, Vick Hope and Raye, celebrating the music industry under one roof.