A fairytale courtship with George Clooney may have secured her celebrity status, but Amal Clooney (née Alamuddin) has been a star in her own right since long before she met the Hollywood actor.
Amal, a human rights attorney, is a practicing barrister at Doughty Street Chambers in London, holds international qualifications to practice law and speaks three languages—all of which helped to earn the Lebanese-Brit instant popularity when photos of her and George Clooney first began to circulate in 2013. But her sense of style certainly didn’t hurt, either.
Amal’s enviable work wardrobe includes a mix of tailored suits, midi dresses and skirt sets from designers like Oscar de la Renta and Dolce & Gabbana. While neutrals are certainly a staple in her workwear attire, Amal has always been fond of bolder hues like crimson and marigold, which she often incorporates into her sartorial routine. The human rights lawyer also relies on a few essential accessories; she’s often pictured on her way to court or class (she serves as a visiting professor at Columbia Law School) sporting sunglasses, with an oversized designer bag in hand.
Though not a traditional Tinseltown fashionista, Amal’s penchant for head-to-toe looks that embody Old Hollywood elegance made her an immediate red carpet success. Switching from custom designs to vintage creations (and occasionally even shining a light on newer fashion houses), Amal’s sartorial savvy has helped to solidify her as a new kind of style star: one who garners as much public attention when she’s heading to address the United Nations as when she’s posing for a sea of photographers at the Golden Globes with her husband.
Hollywood events with her famous significant other aside, Amal has hit plenty of fashion milestones. Take her 2014 wedding dress, for example; she worked with Oscar de la Renta himself to create the princess-worthy off-the-shoulder ivory gown and matching cathedral veil. Anna Wintour also took a liking to the lawyer, and offered Amal a coveted co-chair position for the 2018 Met Gala, with a corresponding cover on Vogue’s May issue.
From her first red carpet event in Dolce & Gabbana to her many modern workwear looks, see all of Amal’s best fashion moments.
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2014, Celebrity Fight Night Gala
Five months after their engagement (and just a few weeks ahead of their wedding), Amal and George Clooney made their first red carpet appearance at the Celebrity Fight Night Gala in Florence. Amal kept her look classic for the event, wearing a strapless black satin Dolce & Gabbana gown with just a hint of sparkle on the train. She kept accessories to a minimum, with gold chandelier earrings, a gold clutch, black heels and her massive emerald-cut diamond ring.
2014, in Venice
Though Amal’s custom Oscar de la Renta wedding gown landed her multiple magazine covers (and a feature in Vogue), it’s this post-wedding Giambattista Valli couture creation that remains one of her most popular ensembles. Part of the Italian fashion designer’s spring 2014 collection, the white lace dress was embellished with coral and purple flowers, with a high-low hemline.
2014, in Venice
To make their marriage official, Amal and George held a civil ceremony in Venice just two days after their star-studded affair. While she wore a custom Oscar de la Renta gown for her first ceremony, this time, Amal opted for a bespoke cream two-piece set by Stella McCartney. She accessorized the perfectly polished look with a matching clutch and wide-brimmed hat; it was slightly reminiscent of another fashion-forward bridal moment: Bianca Jagger’s YSL skirt suit and veiled hat, which she wore for her and Mick Jagger’s 1971 Saint-Tropez wedding.
2014, in Athens, Greece
A few weeks after her wedding, Amal was back to work, visiting the Acropolis Museum in Athens (she was serving as a legal advisor to the Greek government in its attempt to reclaim the Parthenon marbles from the British Museum). The new Mrs. Clooney wore a cream skirt suit from the Chanel spring 2012 collection, which included oversized pearl detailing along the jacket and skirt pockets. To complete the look, Amal added Prada sunglasses, black Paule Ka pumps and a black Balenciaga bag.
2015, Golden Globes
The 2015 Golden Globes served as the couple’s first red carpet appearance as Mr. and Mrs. Clooney. While George recycled his custom Armani wedding tux, Amal went for a black Dior Haute Couture gown, and she added an Old Hollywood spin with white opera gloves. The asymmetrical dress featured a flowing cape at the left shoulder, and while Amal’s wedding band was hidden by the gloves, 29.62-carat diamond drop earrings by Harry Winston were on full display.
2015, in NYC
In a prime example of Amal’s love of color and unexpected elements, the human rights attorney paired yellow chevron pants with a fuzzy black crop top (both Giambattista Valli) and a fur-trimmed black coat while out in New York City.
2015, Met Gala
For her first Met Gala in 2015, Amal matched the red carpet in a custom crimson gown by Maison Margiela creative director John Galliano. The hand-painted and embroidered silk organza design featured a strapless bodice and tiered skirt, and Amal kept her beauty look classic, with side-swept waves and a red lip courtesy of her close friend, makeup artist Charlotte Tilbury.
2015, in Spain for Casamigos Tequila Launch
To celebrate the launch of Casamigos Tequila in Spain (her husband is a co-founder of the company), Amal chose a party-ready minidress by Vionnet. The draped design was composed of glittering gold material in the front, offset by a straight black silhouette in the back. Amal matched both halves of the dress thanks to a gold clutch by Jimmy Choo and black heels.
2015, in London Arriving at Doughty Street Chambers
Beginning in 2015, Amal served as part of the international legal delegation representing the former president of the Maldives, Mohamed Nasheed, an activist who was jailed following accusations of terrorism. For a press conference in London, Amal wore a gray pinstripe suit by Dolce & Gabbana with leopard-print lining, which she paired with a white blouse, crocodile stilettos by Paul Andrew and a classic black bag.
2016, Hail, Caesar! Premiere at the Berlin International Film Festival
All eyes were on Amal at the Berlin International Film Festival, when she wore this vintage Yves Saint Laurent gown to accompany her husband to the premiere of his movie Hail Caesar!. The black gown featured a tulle overlay that showed off a sequined silhouette underneath. Amal styled the look with black heels and a black clutch, letting a bright red lip serve as the only pop of color.
2016, Money Monster Premiere at Cannes Film Festival
Amal switched things up at the Cannes Film Festival in a pale yellow Atelier Versace design. The one-shoulder gown featured a thigh-high slit that showed off her metallic Jimmy Choo sandals, and Amal matched her makeup to her colorful red Cartier earrings and bracelet.
2017, César Awards
The 2017 César Awards in Paris (where George Clooney received an honorary award) marked Amal’s first red carpet appearance since she had announced her pregnancy. Putting her baby bump on full display, the mom-to-be wore a strapless Atelier Versace gown with an ombre feather train and plenty of sparkle, thanks to her Lorraine Schwartz earrings and diamond cuff bracelet.
2017, in New York City
The following month, Amal arrived at the United Nations headquarters in New York City wearing a jacket and matching shift dress from the Bottega Veneta 2017 resort collection. Though her bright yellow ensemble certainly garnered attention, it was Amal’s speech, which urged the organization to investigate the war crimes committed by ISIS, that was truly noteworthy.
2017, Venice Film Festival
Three months after welcoming twins, the couple returned to the red carpet at the Venice Film Festival. Looking every inch a Hollywood star herself, Amal wore a romantic chiffon gown by Atelier Versace in a dreamy lilac hue, with a pale pink ombre effect at the skirt. Instead of her usual wavy hairstyle, Amal switched things up with a faux bob (thanks to hairstylist Rod Ortega) and a berry lip.
2018, in New York City
Mixing colors and prints while out in New York City, Amal was photographed wearing a leopard print dress under a powder blue coat from Ermanno Scervino’s 2018 pre-fall collection, which she accessorized with sunglasses, black stilettos and an oversized black Dior Bar bag.
2018, in New York City
Proving that an office suit can be both polished and trendy, Amal paired tailored black pants and a fitted jacket with a Burberry trench coat, oversized sunglasses and her go-to Dior Bar tote bag.
2018, Met Gala
Amal served as a co-chair at the 2018 Met Gala, celebrating that year’s exhibition, “Heavenly Bodies: Fashion and the Catholic Imagination.” Paying subtle homage to the theme, Amal worked with London-based designer Richard Quinn on a bespoke creation, with a silver foil bustier and navy cigarette pants. But the most show-stopping part of the design was the floral train, which mimicked the effect of a church stained-glass window with its mix of painted roses and lilies, digitally printed onto foil.
2018, Attending Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s Wedding
For Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s royal wedding, Amal fittingly turned to British designer Stella McCartney for a bespoke honey-yellow silk midi dress with side drape detailing. To complete the look, Amal wore gold pumps and a custom hat with a sequin-accented veil by Stephen Jones Millinery, which perfectly matched her dress.
2018, American Film Institute Gala
Before taking to the stage to deliver a tribute to her husband, who was being honored by the American Film Institute, Amal shined on the red carpet in a glittering pale pink Prada dress. The off-the-shoulder silhouette featured a miniskirt with floor-length embellished paneling, which Amal accessorized simply with teardrop earrings, a clutch and strappy sandals.
2018, at the UN Headquarters in New York
Amal wore a red cape dress from the Oscar de la Renta 2019 resort collection to deliver a speech during the ‘Press Behind Bars: Undermining Justice and Democracy’ conference at the United Nations in New York City.
2019, People’s Postcode Lottery Charity Gala in Edinburgh
In 2019, Amal and George headed to Scotland for a charity gala, where they were honored for their work with the Clooney Foundation for Justice. For the occasion, Amal chose a navy blue satin jumpsuit by Stella McCartney. The one-shouldered silhouette featured wide-leg, cropped trousers, which Amal accessorized with a wide leather belt, navy Christian Louboutin heels and a leopard-print clutch.
2021, BFI London Film Festival
Amal went Old Hollywood glam at the London Film Festival (she and her husband attended the premiere of the movie he directed, The Tender Bar) in a strapless sequined bespoke 16Arlington gown, complete with a feather stole. The look was styled perfectly with diamond drop earrings, side-swept curls and a classic red lip.
2022, in NYC
Before attending a meeting at the UN, Amal was photographed out in New York City in a cream dress and matching coat. To break up the monochromatic look, Amal added croc-embossed heels, black sunglasses and her black Dior Bar bag.
2022, in NYC
Later that night, Amal changed into a much more casual look, comprised of high-waisted jeans and a cropped blazer. The human rights lawyer traded her work-ready tote bag for a smaller black leather embossed bag by Giambattista Valli, and added plenty of sparkle with a crystal embellished top, silver earrings and Gianvito Rossi PVC metallic pumps.
2022, The Prince’s Trust Awards
The 2022 Prince’s Trust Awards marked the first presentation of the Amal Clooney Women’s Empowerment Award (sponsored by Amal’s pal Charlotte Tilbury). To present the award to its first-ever recipient, Pakistani activist Tanzila Khan, Amal opted for a sleek, strapless dress in a bright red floral print. White heels and a white clutch complemented the pops of white throughout the fitted frock, while Amal’s red lip (Tilbury’s Limitless Lucky Lips in Red Wishes, in case you were wondering) tied the whole look together.
2022, Ticket To Paradise Premiere
At the London premiere of Ticket to Paradise to celebrate George Clooney’s return to the romantic comedy, Amal wore a vintage mint green slip dress. The archival piece was by John Galliano, and featured beaded detailing that was further enhanced by Amal’s Cartier jewelry.
2022, The Clooney Foundation For Justice Albie Awards
Amal resembled a 1920s starlet for the inaugural Albie Awards event, hosted by the Clooney Foundation for Justice (the human rights organization she co-founded with her husband in 2016). For the star-studded evening honoring individuals and groups dedicated to pursuing justice, Amal turned to Donatella Versace for a custom gown. The vintage-inspired Atelier Versace design was covered in gold and silver beading, with fringe details that were complemented by Amal’s metallic sandals, dainty gold clutch and retro beauty look.
2022, Academy Museum Gala
Taking a break from the vintage (and retro-inspired) ensembles, Amal sported a look by a new fashion house at the Academy Museum Gala. Amal’s silk-tulle strapless Del Core gown, in various shades of green, was plucked from the line’s 2023 resort collection, which was designed by the brand’s founder, Gucci alum Daniel Del Core.
2022, Kennedy Center Honors
Amal pulled out all the sparkling stops at the 2022 Kennedy Center Honors. She accompanied her husband, one of the evening’s honorees, to the annual ceremony in a crystal-encrusted Valentino design. The off-the-shoulder dress, part of the Italian fashion house’s fall 2022 couture collection, was completed with tonal accessories that included a silver clutch, silver Gianvito Rossi PVC pumps and diamond jewelry—Amal even wore a touch of silver eyeshadow at the inner corners of her eyes.
2023, in Spain
To speak at the We Choose Earth Tour conference in Madrid, Amal ditched the usual suits and midi dresses for a golden one-shoulder jumpsuit, which she paired with her favorite Gianvito Rossi PVC pumps (this time in gold).