Amal Alamuddin earns high-fashion accolades as Clooney's bride

By Piya Sinha-Roy

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) – With the help of Oscar de la Renta, Stella McCartney, Giambattista Valli and Dolce & Gabbana, human rights lawyer Amal Alamuddin vaulted into the top echelons of Hollywood fashion with her stylish Italian wedding to actor George Clooney.

Alamuddin, 36, showcased several outfits during her whirlwind wedding weekend in Venice, picking British, American and Italian designers and channelling golden age Hollywood glamour.

The piece de resistance was an off-the-shoulder tulle and Chantilly lace wedding gown, revealed on Tuesday by fashion magazine Vogue and custom-made by New York-based de la Renta.

“George and I wanted a wedding that was romantic and elegant, and I can’t imagine anyone more able than Oscar to capture this mood in a dress,” the British-Lebanese bride told Vogue.

The magazine renowned for anointing fashion royalty and whose editor Anna Wintour attended the nuptials, noted “she stands resplendent in her dress.”

De la Renta, who is known for his romantic feminine creations, also supplied Alamuddin’s post-wedding dress, which the magazine described as a “festive, Gatsby-style party frock.” Clooney wore a custom black tuxedo by Giorgio Armani.

Oscar-winning Clooney, 53, one of Hollywood’s most famous bachelors, and Alamuddin’s wedding has drawn comparisons to that of Kate Middleton and Britain’s Prince William in April 2011.

Middleton, now the Duchess of Cambridge, has become a style icon for her chic ensembles often incorporating high fashion and high street retail, earning a place in Vanity Fair’s annual best dressed lists over the past few years.

Hordes of photographers followed the couple in speedboats on the Venetian canals throughout the weekend as they hosted several events attended by celebrities such as Cindy Crawford, Bill Murray and Matt Damon.

The lawyer changed up her look for her civil wedding ceremony on Monday, swapping a dress for a chic white trouser and top set offset with black trim by British designer McCartney. The outfit drew on effortless coastal fashion, a theme she embraced as she arrived in Venice in a black and white maxi Dolce & Gabbana dress.

As the newlyweds jetted through Venice in a speedboat named ‘Amore,’ the new Mrs Clooney selected a short, bell-skirted dress embroidered with floral motifs by Italian designer Giambattista Valli, showcasing her long legs.

She also opted for a blood red Alexander McQueen gown with a dramatic train for her pre-wedding rehearsal dinner, various fashion sites reported.

(Reporting by Piya Sinha-Roy; Editing by Mary Milliken and Andrew Hay)

Amal Alamuddin earns high-fashion accolades as Clooney's bride