The celebrity stylist who dressed Diana and put Liz Hurley in the famous safety pin dress has claimed he was banned by Harvey Nichols from serving Premiership footballers.
Dean Aslett, 55, said his experience has worked against him while working as a stylist at the luxury department store, as he is now suing Harvey Nichols for age discrimination.
The celeb stylist said football star shoppers including Arsenal’s Bukayo Saka and former Brentford player Ivan Toney would routinely be given to younger stylists.
The professional footballers, who would apparently spend up to £35,000 during lavish spending sprees, and younger, affluent clients would apparently be matched to Mr Aslett’s junior colleagues – despite his decades of experience.
‘I’ve been working as a stylist for 35 years and I thought I would have something to bring to the table but, if anything, my experience worked against me,’ Mr Aslett told the Sun.
‘The management would give me all the difficult, much older clients no one wanted to service, while all the lucrative appointments with affluent young people were given to others, so I was effectively being penalised.’
‘Premier League footballers were coming in and they were amongst the biggest spenders. They could drop between £10,000 and £35,000 a time.
‘I remember Saka spent over £10,000 on clothes for a Halloween party in October 2024,’ he added.
Liz Hurley pictured in the dress that shot her to stardom alongside her then-boyfriend Hugh Grant
Celebrity stylist Dean Aslett, 55 (pictured) said younger colleagues would routinely get given affluent football clients, who would spend up to £35,000 in the luxury department store
Aslett had also worked with Princess Diana on one occasion, as well helping style Elton John and Joan Collins when he worked at Versace
Dean Aslett was nicknamed ‘Mr Safety Pin’ for dressing Liz Hurley in his famous gold pin side-fastened plunging black dress in the 1990s.
The actress wore the dress alongside her then-boyfriend Hugh Grant while attending a film premiere in 1994.
He also once worked with Princess Diana, and helped style Elton John and Joan Collins while at Versace.
Mr Aslett said he faced discrimination from the beginning of his job as a personal shopper at Harvey Nichols’ London store in January 2024. He was let go in December that same year.
His employment tribunal case against the company is due to be heard next April.
Harvey Nichols was contacted for comment.
