The highly anticipated adaptation of Ali Hazelwood’s bestseller arrived on Prime Video this fall, starring Lili Reinhart as Olive, a driven Stanford Ph.D. candidate navigating love, science, and friendship. A special screening took place on September 22 in Culver City, California, drawing buzz from fans and fashion observers alike. While the narrative follows Olive’s fake-relationship pact with Adam Carlsen (Tom Bateman) and her deep bond with best-friend Anh (Rachel Marsh), the promotional tour quickly became a study in style, with every outfit deliberately echoing the rom-com era that inspired the film.
Reinhart’s sartorial journey began long before the cameras rolled. “It started with a Pinterest board called ‘Rom-Com Baddie’ that I made and shared with my stylist, Ib Abdel Nasser” she told Vogue. The board was meant as a tribute to the romantic-comedy heroines of the 1990s and early 2000s, an era she describes as the visual heart of the genre. Over weeks, the collection evolved from broad color trends to specific character references, setting the stage for a press-tour wardrobe rooted in nostalgia yet refreshed for today’s audiences.
From a Pinterest board to a vintage-infused wardrobe
With the board as a blueprint, Reinhart and Ib set out to marry vintage flair with contemporary tailoring. “We wanted to pull a lot of vintage and lean into the ’90s and early 2000s aesthetic as a way of acknowledging the era of rom-coms and romance movies I grew up watching,” the actress explained. Their research spanned months; Ib spent countless hours scouring online archives for rare pieces, turning the styling process into a treasure hunt. The result was a curated mix of iconic silhouettes—pop-filled pastels, flirty necklines, and structured waistlines—each chosen to echo the feeling of classic film romance while fitting Reinhart’s modern silhouette.
Designer collaborations bring rom-com classics back to life
To translate the board’s inspirations into runway-ready garments, the team partnered with a roster of luxury houses. A one-of-a-kind Elie Saab couture gown from spring 2004 became a centerpiece, embodying the elegance of early-2000s red-carpet drama. Hervé Léger’s Michelle Ochs reimagined Sandra Bullock’s lavender mini dress from Miss Congeniality while Miu Miu crafted a fresh take on the pink velvet number from My Date With the President’s Daughter. “We started brainstorming in the spring and spent all summer going back and forth about which homages we wanted to do and which designers might be game to play with us,” Reinhart recalled, naming Rodarte, Rebecca Taylor and Tory Burch as additional collaborators who supplied sketches and custom creations.
Costume details that echo Olive’s scientific world
Not every look was a direct replica; some pieces hinted at Olive’s laboratory life. An Ungaro dress, described by Reinhart as reminiscent of a petri dish, subtly referenced her research on pancreatic cancer, while a buttery-yellow Versace skirt fulfilled a long-standing wish of Ib’s. Even when the outfits weren’t custom-made, the team insisted on a cohesive, romantic vintage vibe. “Ib spent hours and hours searching online for rare pieces we could bring back to life, which made the whole tour feel like one big treasure hunt,” she said, underscoring the meticulous care behind each selection.
The film’s core: sisterhood and representation
Beyond the clothes, the movie places the relationship between Olive and Anh at its emotional core. The script emphasizes their bond as a “love story about two women,” showcasing Anh’s Filipino family, warm meals, and the feeling of a chosen family for Olive, who has lost her own. Reinhart highlighted that this sisterhood drives the plot: “You had to see how good of a friend Anh was to Olive in order to make the audience get on board with why she’d go out of her comfort zone for her friend.” The authenticity of this friendship resonated with Reinhart, who recalled feeling isolated by the limited portrayals of female bonds in her youth.
Why the lookbook matters for modern rom-coms
Reinhart also framed the fashion project as part of a larger shift toward women-led rom-com storytelling. She noted that having a book written by a woman, directed by a woman, produced by women, and starring a woman who also serves as executive producer feels like a “dream.” This alignment of creative control and visual homage, she believes, could cement a new era of rom-coms where both narrative and style celebrate female perspectives.
