She might be one of the world’s most famous human rights lawyers, but Amal Clooney also happens to love a fluttery lash. Like me, she is a woman of multitudes. It helps, then, that she has friends in high places. Such as Charlotte Tilbury, who she frequently calls upon to paint her face for glittering charity galas. The past couple of months – years, even – has seen Clooney take tentative steps into the fashion industry, which (despite being worth more than £35 billion a year to the economy) is often presented as antithetical to the Very Serious work she does as a legal professional.
Tonight saw Amal make a very explicit endorsement of the sector at the 2023 Fashion Awards, wearing a glitterball Versace gown which had been embellished with cascading, sunset-hued sequins. It wasn’t Skims, but it almost – almost – could have been. Of course, this isn’t Clooney’s first involvement with the British Fashion Council. In 2014 – just a couple of months after her wedding to George Clooney – the Buckinghamshire native was nominated alongside David Beckham, Cara Delevigne and Rita Ora for the British Style Award. But that particular prize went to the public vote and Clooney was pipped to the post by Emma Watson. So here she is, once again on official duty this evening, tasked with presenting Charlotte Tilbury with a Special Recognition Award for her contributions to fashion, which amounts to no less than 180 magazine covers and over 600 editorial and advertising campaigns.
“I first met Charlotte when we were neighbors in Notting Hill, and she did the trial for my wedding makeup. I was aghast when she showed up to the house with five suitcases of product,” Clooney says. “But, by the end of the session, she was not only my makeup artist – she was my friend. At the wedding, she was our guest. When I think about Charlotte, some words that spring to mind are… trailblazer, brilliant, spiritual, savvy, compassionate, fun, dancefloor, champagne, all-nighter. I should probably stop there,” she adds. “I adore this woman, she is a dear friend to me and my family – she is generous without limit or calculation – not only to those she loves but also through her charitable work. George and I are so grateful for her support for the Clooney foundation. She is all heart and an inspiration to us all.”