Amal Clooney and George Clooney
The Albie Awards, Natural History Museum, London, UK – 09 Oct 2026
Some women change their hair every season. Amal Clooney does it with the precision of a closing argument. Four months ago she was still wearing her hair at chest length. On October 9, at one of the most important nights on her calendar, she arrived in London with a look that was noticeably shorter, softer and more undone, and her hairstylist had a five-word explanation ready.
The night she debuted it
Amal and George Clooney hosted the Albies 2026 on October 9 at London’s Natural History Museum. The ceremony, now in its fifth year and organized by the Clooney Foundation for Justice, honors people who defend justice around the world, often at great personal risk. Guests included Brad Pitt, Laura Dern, Donatella Versace and Emma Thompson.
Amal wore a metallic Gucci gown with a sweeping neckline. But it was her hair that drew attention: cut considerably shorter, with textured layers, worn in soft, tousled waves and, notably, a side part, as Hola! USA reported.
“Sophia Loren meets Kate Moss”: what does that actually mean?
The cut is the work of Dimitris Giannetos, Amal’s longtime hairstylist, who also did her makeup that night with Charlotte Tilbury products. Speaking to Vogue, he summed up the inspiration as “A combo of Sophia Loren meets Kate Moss.”
Put the two references side by side and the look makes sense. Sophia Loren brings the volume, the Italian glamour and the bounce at the roots. Kate Moss brings the opposite: slightly messy texture, nothing too polished, hair that looks like it has been lived in. Together, they create a cut that feels expensive without looking done, a balance that runs through all of her recent cuts.
A year of cuts, each one shorter
This is not Amal’s first change with Giannetos. In October 2025, he took off “between six and eight inches” of her hair for what he called a “bubble blowout” and a “power cut,” according to AOL. Then in June 2026, he gave her a retro “bell bottom” cut, a blunt shape with extra fullness at the ends that took her hair from nearly waist length to chest length. “It’s a blunt cut with the perfect bounce,” he told Hola! USA at the time.
The October cut goes one step further: shorter, lighter and more textured. The side part is worth noting too. It is one of the simplest ways to add volume at the crown, as we explained in why stylists are saying goodbye to the center part this fall.
How to ask for Amal’s cut at the salon
If you want to borrow the look, bring a photo from the Albies and ask for:
- A shorter length with textured layers, rather than one blunt line, so the ends move.
- A side part to lift the roots and create that Sophia Loren volume.
- A tousled finish, with loose waves made with a large curling iron or a round brush, then broken up with your fingers. That is the Kate Moss part.
- Warm, highlighted brunette tones if you color your hair: they make the texture show and soften the face.
The cut works especially well on medium to thick hair with a little natural wave. On very fine hair, ask your stylist to keep the layers longer so the shape does not lose density.
The bottom line
Amal Clooney has spent 2026 slowly letting go of her signature long hair, one cut at a time. With this one, inspired by an Italian screen icon and a ’90s supermodel, she may have landed on the most wearable version yet. Fitting for a woman who, from her Lake Como villa to the red carpet, rarely leaves anything to chance.
