Why Amal Alamuddin Captured One Fashion Critic’s Heart

Amal Alamuddin ended up on the list of media targets as soon as news broke of her engagement to George Clooney earlier this year. Immediately the London-based lawyer became known as much for her style and beauty as her impressive professional credentials. She is a prominent human rights lawyer who, according to Forbes, has practiced in the U.S. and U.K. High-profile clients include Wikileaks founder Julian Assange and former Ukrainian Prime Minister Yuila Tymonshenko.

But Hannah Marriott likes her shoes. Writing in The Guardian Friday, Marriott starts off her gushing evaluation of Alamuddin’s style by noting the lawyer had dared to wear different-colored heels, one pink, another purple. She wrote: “that was the moment I became fascinated.”

Indeed, the style pages of tabloids and mainstream publications like to talk more about what Alamuddin is wearing than what she might say. People tried to define her fashion sense in May and came up empty, although the mag was quick to offer compliments:

“It’s hard to define her fashion sense; one minute she’s in lawyer mode and hits the streets in a sensible modern suit. The next, she’s celebrating her engagement in a neon tee with a crystal skull on the front. One thing is for sure: Alamuddin doesn’t step out without a statement piece (or two).”

Also in May, US Magazine seemed to overlook Alamuddin’s professional prominence by quoting an insider as saying, “Amal is such a sweet and intelligent girl,” which perhaps does little justice to either her womanhood — Alamuddin is 36 — and her intelligence — she holds degrees from Oxford and New York University.

Marriott says that it is Alamuddin’s “staggering CV” that makes her feel comfortable with citing Alamuddin as her “style crush.” Her quirky fashion sense has its own appeal:

“She breaks rules by pairing summery outfits with a big black handbag, and looks wonderful doing so, because she’s a successful person who can’t be bothered to transfer her keys and wallet to another bag as she is too busy preparing for a landmark trial or going on a date with Clooney. This is not stylist-approved dressing, and all the better for it.”

During an appearance on the BBC earlier this year, before her engagement to Clooney was announced, Alamuddin demonstrated her professional chops when speaking about the unique circumstances of one of her clients. That video is embedded below.

While fashionistas will continue to contemplate Alamuddin’s style and speculate over the designer of her wedding dress, George Clooney’s soon-to-be-wife might have more pressing issues on her mind.

[Image: FameFlynet/Google]