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Dean Aslett, the former head of womenswear and atelier at Versace, has opened up about his experiences of working with some of the biggest names in showbiz, including Liz Hurley, Joan Collins, Victoria Beckham and Hugh Grant.
Aslett, who is now a fashion designer and stylist based in London, was the one who fitted Hurley into the famous black Versace dress, often referred to as “THAT dress”, that she wore to the premiere of Four Weddings and a Funeral in 1994. The dress, which was held together by several oversized gold safety pins, catapulted Hurley to stardom and made Versace a household name12.
Aslett revealed that Hurley only wore the dress because she had been snubbed by other designers who did not know who she was. He agreed to lend her a dress as a favour and gave her four tickets to the premiere, which he attended with three other Versace employees12.
He also shared some juicy details about Hurley’s then-boyfriend, Hugh Grant, who was the star of the film. Aslett said that Grant was “appalling” and “very rude” to him and his colleagues, and that he did not even thank them for the dress. He added that Grant was “very uncomfortable” with the attention that Hurley received and that he tried to “hide” behind her2.
Aslett also spilled the tea on other celebrities that he had worked with or met during his time at Versace. He said that Joan Collins was “incredibly rude” and “very demanding” when he fitted her for a dress, and that she made him wait for hours while she had her hair and makeup done. He said that Collins was “not very nice” to him and that she acted like a “diva” 2.
He also said that Victoria Beckham was a “grand” and “pretentious” person who wanted to be like Anna Wintour, the editor-in-chief of Vogue. He said that Beckham was “very cold” and “very distant” when he met her at a Versace show, and that she did not smile or talk to anyone. He said that Beckham was “trying to be someone she’s not” and that she lacked “personality” 2.
Aslett, who is also known as “Mr Safety Pin”, said that he was proud of his work at Versace and that he had a lot of fun and learned a lot from the late Gianni Versace, the founder of the brand. He said that Versace was a “genius” and a “visionary” who was “very generous” and “very humble”. He said that Versace was “like a father” to him and that he was devastated by his murder in 19972.
Aslett said that he still loves fashion and that he is working on his own label, which he hopes to launch soon. He said that he wants to create clothes that are “unique” and “edgy” and that reflect his personality. He said that he is not interested in following trends or copying other designers, but rather in expressing his own vision and style2.
