Elizabeth Hurley’s (61) Topless Open Kaftan Photos Are Also a Masterclass in Selling Her Beachwear Empire
Elizabeth Hurley rarely lets a season go by without turning a holiday-style photo into a quiet advertisement for her own label. Her latest kaftan photos follow a busy week in New York, where she attended an event for the Estée Lauder Companies Breast Cancer Campaign on October 1 and appeared on the set of ‘Good Day New York.’
The photos also fit neatly into her wider business story. Hurley launched Elizabeth Hurley Beach in 2005, initially selling through the luxury department store Harrods before expanding to international online retail. She stays involved in every aspect of the label, from design to marketing, and she has long insisted on modeling it herself.
Her latest post shows how well that strategy still works. On October 3, the 61-year-old actress and model shared a series of sun-kissed Instagram photos promoting a white lace kaftan from her swimwear line. Alongside the photos, she also posted a short video presenting the Eleni kaftan, saying she often wears it on vacation.
Hurley posed against a sun-washed wall in white bikini bottoms with gold ring detailing at the hips and the open, semi-sheer kaftan, with no bikini top underneath. The robe has short sleeves, floral embroidery and a row of fabric-covered buttons lined with lace.
She finished the outfit with a long gold pendant necklace and oversized drop earrings. In one frame she leans an arm against the wall, and in another she smiles toward the camera with her hair in a windswept blowout.
Fans rushed to the comments with praise. The piece itself did a lot of the talking, which is exactly what a founder wants from a product shot.
The Eleni isn’t new to her feed. In May 2024, she shared a video of herself on a swing in the kaftan, tagging her brand, and in July 2024 she called it her favorite kaftan of the year and said she had been living in it.
According to the product listing, the piece is hand-embroidered in India and is a staple of her vacation wardrobe. The listing also notes that its versatility depends on which buttons you choose to close, a design detail that lets one garment work as a beach cover-up or a lounge robe.
Elizabeth Hurley Beach describes itself as a London-based luxury swim label, built around a sensual fit and jet-set influences for a vacation wardrobe. Hurley has also worked beyond her own shop, collaborating in 2008 with Spanish retailer MANGO on a capsule collection of 12 swimsuits.
Her Instagram feed doubles as a lookbook, with each post highlighting a new item, a sale or a discount opportunity. Followers get a glimpse of a glamorous holiday, and the brand gets an advertisement that costs nothing extra.
Away from the swimwear business, Hurley has had a full year. She turned 61 in June, spent January in the Maldives with her son Damian, and has been dating country star Billy Ray Cyrus since 2025, after the pair went public with their relationship in April of that year.
In early September, she bid farewell to what she called the best summer ever and teased a new chapter. The kaftan photos suggest the new chapter will keep leaning on the beach label she has spent two decades building.
Whether you see it as ageless style or smart branding, the photos show a founder who knows exactly how to put her own product front and center.
What do you think of Elizabeth Hurley’s founder-as-model strategy?
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