Hal Rubenstein – författare

100 Unforgettable Dresses is filled with the stories, secrets, intrigue, and insights behind the most indelible dresses in our collective memories. Featuring looks from the runway, film, television, the red carpet, and the worlds of royalty and politics, this book celebrates the staying power of these gorgeous, sleek, sultry, and outrageous creations as well as the lasting impact they’ve had in fashion, popular culture, and our own lives. More than two hundred images, a witty, informative text, and exclusive interviews with the designers and the women who wore the dresses reveal the initial spark and captivating drama behind the making of each dress. Also featured throughout are extensive anecdotes and observations about great style makers—Grace Kelly, Audrey Hepburn, Cher, Sarah Jessica Parker, Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, and Cate Blanchett—highlighting the conception of their most spectacular looks and examining their lasting influence.

Here is the tale of how a canny Gianni Versace helped an unknown Elizabeth Hurley become world famous overnight, thanks to the paparazzi frenzy whipped up by her red-carpet appearance in his now legendary safety-pin dress. Learn about the unique wedding gown Narciso Rodriguez designed exclusively for Caroline Bessette-Kennedy that inspired a whole new generation of brides. Go on the set of Top Hat, where Ginger Rogers’s ostrich-feather-laden dress began to molt immediately upon arrival, its flying feathers bringing the film’s production to a halt. Of course, the seminal work of exemplary designers—Yves Saint Laurent’s Mondrian dress and Christian Lacroix’s pouf, Chanel’s little black dress and Valentino’s infamous red ones, Diane von Furstenberg’s iconic wrap and Marc Jacobs’s grunge collection—is featured throughout, with plenty of inside information on what inspired the invention of each piece.

With its wonderful anecdotes, fascinating facts, and just enough juicy gossip, 100 Unforgettable Dresses is a bewitching read for everyone who enjoys sensational clothes, movies, television, and music. Whether you’re a fashion maven, a red-carpet addict, a celebrity tracker, or a pop-culture aficionado, you won’t be able to put this book down!

Hal Rubenstein, fashion authority, consultant, and author of the bestselling 100 Unforgettable Dresses, presents fifty of the most influential romantic moments in style from the 1930s to today, in this full-color collection that reveals each item's indelible place in the pantheons of fashion and popular culture.

In The Looks of Love, Hal Rubenstein showcases seminal moments and events in television and film, on the runway and red carpet, and in social media that have changed the way we look at love, fashion, passion, romance, marriage, beauty, and style. From Alexander McQueen’s stunning dance marathon collection inspired by the film They Shoot Horses Don’t They? to shoulder-pad-clad Krystle and Alexis Carrington’s jealous catfights; from all eight of Elizabeth Taylor’s wedding ensembles to Angelina Jolie’s singular Versace wedding gown with a veil embroidered with her children’s drawings, Rubenstein brings his impeccable eye, compelling voice, and impressive depth of knowledge to these iconic moments. Here, too are anecdotes and first-person commentary from more than a dozen world-class designers that offer fascinating insight into each “look.”

Spanning eras and media, combining more than 225 images and essays, The Looks of Love includes such innovative trendsetters as Humphrey Bogart’s trench coat in Casablanca; Marc Jacobs’s spectacularly romantic show for Louis Vuitton that featured models disembarking from a vintage steam train; Beyoncé’s “All the Single Ladies” video; Versace’s “Miami” collection; The romantic world of Ralph Lauren; the marriage of the Duke and Duchess of Windsor—Edward VIII and Wallis Simpson; The Summer of Love—Woodstock; Gene Kelly’s sportswear in Singing in the Rain; DKNY advertising; and much more.

Playful and profound, trendy and timeless, stylish and sophisticated, The Looks of Love illuminates our evolving culture and couture in fresh and startling way.