‘That dress’ designer revealed as Mrs. Clooney shows fashion force

ROME, Italy – The designer of the thigh-flashing dress with which the new Mrs. Clooney wowed the crowds in Venice at the weekend was revealed Monday as Italian haute couture star Giambattista Valli.

Amal Alamuddin, the lawyer who wed the Hollywood star on Saturday, spent most of her first full day of married life in a stunning, predominately white mini-dress that was intricately decorated with exquisite macrame embroidery in the form of purple and pink flowers.

A high, round neck and long sleeves helped give the piece a demure, bridal feel.

 

But, in typical Valli style, that initial impression was offset by a high “drop” (higher at the front than the back) hemline that, paired with towering, strappy gold stilettoes, hinted at a racier side to the 36-year-old human rights specialist.

A spokeswoman for Valli revealed the dress that made front pages around the world on Monday to have been crafted from silk, the Rome-born, Paris-based designer’s favorite fabric.

The dress was not specifically designed for Alamuddin to wear. She picked it from a previous Valli haute couture collection and had it adapted to her own willowy measurements.

“It was the first time he has dressed Amal and for sure it won’t be the last,” the spokeswoman said.

Valli is a firm favorite among Hollywood A-listers, having designed red carpet outfits for the likes of Penelope Cruz, Natalie Portman and Halle Berry.

He created the much commented upon pink robe that Jessica Biel wore for her 2012 wedding to Justin Timberlake.

The global buzz generated by Alamuddin’s showcase of his skill could help promote his new, more affordable line.

The new Giamba collection, unveiled in Milan earlier this month, is meant to complement his haute couture and ready-to-wear collections, and features mini-dresses in the same vein as the one sported by Alamuddin. Models are due in shops in early 2015.

Born in the Lebanon but raised in Britain, Alamuddin has won international acclaim for the fashion sense she has displayed over the course of a weekend of extravagant nuptial celebrations.

For Monday’s official civil service at the Venice city hall she sported a cream trouser ensemble with navy blue trim at the waist and around a wide-brimmed hat.

Details of the dress that she wore for Saturday’s private wedding ceremony is a tightly-guarded secret.

The couple, who met through Clooney’s humanitarian work, are widely thought to have agreed a deal to sell the pictures exclusively to one publication – American Vogue is the favorite – and to donate the money raised to one of the causes they support.

Other looks that Alamuddin has sported in the floating city include a flowing, scarlet Alexander McQueen dress embellished with an ornamental black print that featured a low-cut but discreet neckline, a tight waist and another asymmetrical hemline. She wore that to the pre-wedding dinner on Friday.

During the day on Friday, she was seen in a black-and-white Dolce and Gabbana number with a ’60s feel.

Breathless reports in the British media suggested the D&G item had sold out after the pictures of Alamuddin wearing it appeared.

Not true, a spokeswoman for the Italian style duo told AFP.

It was in fact a dress from D&G’s 2013 spring-summer collection that the lawyer had sourced… from her wardrobe. – Rappler.com