Amal Clooney Chopped Her Hair Shorter for the Albies — Her Stylist Calls It 'Sophia Loren Meets Kate Moss'

Amal Clooney's hair has been long and glossy for so long that a change reads as news. At the fifth edition of the Albies in London on Friday, October 9, 2026, the human rights lawyer debuted a noticeably shorter, layered cut, and her longtime hairstylist and makeup artist Dimitris Giannetos has explained exactly how he did it.

The Albies, hosted by the Clooney Foundation for Justice at the Natural History Museum, honour people fighting for justice around the world. Vogue reported that the audience included Laura Dern, Brad Pitt, Marisa Abela, Myha'la Herrold and Donatella Versace.

The cut: shorter, razored and wispy

"I chopped her hair much shorter now, with lots of layers, movement, razored and wispy layers and some summer highlights," Giannetos told Vogue. The idea was to take a classic screen-siren reference and loosen it. "I gave that classic inspiration a modern twist: soft, effortless waves with plenty of texture. Glamorous, but still relaxed."

His shorthand for the finished result was "a combo of Sophia Loren meets Kate Moss." The reference came from the dress: Clooney wore a custom Gucci gown by Demna, an off-the-shoulder sculptural design covered in gold sequins with floor-length fringe. "Demna's inspiration was an Old Hollywood movie star, the same vibe as Sophia Loren," Giannetos said.

How to get the waves

The finished hair was a tumble of side-parted, softly tousled waves with face-framing layers and golden highlights. Vogue listed the tools: a Tymo CurlPro for the waves, then plenty of L'Oréal Paris Elvive Big Hair Dry Shampoo and Elnett hairspray for volume and hold. His assistant David Mazzotta helped with the look.

The key, if you are trying this at home, is that the layers do most of the work. Razored ends break up a curl so it falls looser, and dry shampoo on clean hair adds grip and lift. Where a 1960s Italian star would have had a perfect set wave, Vogue noted, Clooney's version had slightly undone lengths and more movement.

The makeup: gold, glow and a nude lip

Giannetos used Charlotte Tilbury, which marked its fifth year partnering with the Albies. "For her makeup, I kept everything luminous, with shimmery golden tones to complement her gown," he said.

He prepped the skin with Magic Serum Crystal Elixir and Magic Cream, then built a base with Airbrush Flawless Foundation, Airbrush Flawless Blur Concealer and the Hollywood Contour Wand. The Unreal Blush Healthy Glow Stick and Beauty Light Wand added warmth, with the Pillow Talk Soulmates Palette in Flawless Pink for a soft flush.

For the eyes, he paired the Exagger-Eyes Easy Eyeshadow Stick in Oyster Twilight with the Hollywood Flawless Light Tricks Eye Palette and Exagger-Eyes Volume Mascara. The lip was a softly defined nude: Lip Cheat Contour Duo in Tan and Hot Lips 2 lipstick in Angel Alessandra.

The step most people skip

The finishing trick was powder. Glowing skin under event lighting can easily tip into shine. "I'm obsessed with Charlotte Tilbury's new translucent powder," Giannetos told Vogue. "It lets me mattify specific areas while keeping that beautiful glow." Pressing powder only on the centre of the face, and leaving the high points alone, is how you keep luminous makeup from looking greasy in photos.

Laura Dern, who also attended, made her own style statement in crystal-studded Stella McCartney. Golden, softly defined glam has been everywhere this season, from Dakota Johnson's sharper approach in "Dakota Johnson's Precise Red Lip and Espresso Hair at the Verity Premiere" to Clooney's softer take.

Giannetos has worked with Clooney for years, Vogue noted, on everything from Venice Film Festival appearances with George Clooney to her travels in Malawi, so the cut was a considered change rather than a one-night experiment.

FAQ

Did Amal Clooney cut her hair? Yes. Her stylist Dimitris Giannetos told Vogue he cut it "much shorter" with razored, wispy layers and summer highlights for the 2026 Albies.

What did Amal Clooney wear to the Albies 2026? A custom gold-sequinned, off-the-shoulder Gucci gown by Demna with floor-length fringe.

What products were used on Amal Clooney's hair? A Tymo CurlPro, L'Oréal Paris Elvive Big Hair Dry Shampoo and Elnett hairspray.

What makeup did Amal Clooney wear? Charlotte Tilbury, including Airbrush Flawless Foundation, the Pillow Talk Soulmates Palette and Hot Lips 2 in Angel Alessandra.

Cover photo: UK Mission to the UN New York / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0