Latest news with #LaurenSánchezBezos
Vogue
2 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Vogue
Lauren Sánchez Bezos's Ongoing Fashion Fascination with Sophia Loren
By her own admission, Lauren Sánchez Bezos did not marry Jeff Bezos in the kind of gown she initially envisioned. Originally, she told Vogue's Chloe Malle that she had visions of a strapless dress. But after going on a Blue Origin space flight to the Kárman line, both her perspective about her life—and style—shifted. 'It went from 'I want a simple, sexy modern dress' to 'I want something that evokes a moment,' and where I am right now. I am a different person than I was five years ago,' she said. So, she researched pictures of brides from the 1950s. One in particular stuck with her: Sophia Loren's wedding dress from the 1958 movie Houseboat. 'I said, 'That's it. That's the dress.'' After several conversations with Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana, Dolce & Gabbana made her a high lace neck mermaid-line gown with 180 hand-finished, silk chiffon-covered buttons that took over 1900 hours to make. 'The whole thing was like a dream,' Sánchez says. Loren's original—and fictional—dress was made by legendary costume designer Edith Head, who received eight Academy Awards (as well as a total of 35 nominations) and a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame for her work with Paramount Pictures and Universal Pictures. She's known for crafting the clothes worn by Audrey Hepburn in Roman Holiday and Breakfast at Tiffany's, Grace Kelly in To Catch a Thief, and Gloria Swanson in Sunset Boulevard. Sophia Loren's wedding dress, designed by Edith Head, as seen in the 1958 film Houseboat. Photo: Courtesy Everett Collection Domenico Dolce puts a veil on Lauren Sánchez Bezos. Photo: Courtesy of Lauren Sánchez Bezos The back of Lauren Sánchez Bezos's wedding dress by Dolce & Gabbana. Photo: Courtesy of Lauren Sánchez Bezos Although Loren has been a consistent style inspiration for Sánchez. In April, Sánchez attended the 2025 Breakthrough Prize in a 1994 John Galliano dress once worn by the Fellini muse. On a now-deleted Instagram post (Sanchez cleared her profile after officially marrying Bezos) she called her an 'icon of strength and timeless beauty.' It seems likely that Sánchez may have more Old Hollywood fashion nods up her (long lace) sleeves.
Times
12 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Times
Jeff Bezos wedding: guests watch on as vows exchanged
Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sánchez Bezos have exchanged vows at their extravagant wedding ceremony, to the applause of their star-studded guests in Venice. The bride wore a long Dolce & Gabbana gown with button embellishments and lace sleeves inspired by the dress Sophia Loren wore in the 1958 film Houseboat. Guests had been welcomed to the Venetian island of San Giorgio Maggiore, where the ceremony took place, to the sound of Matteo Bocelli, the son of the Italian opera singer Andrea Bocelli, singing Elvis Presley's Can't Help Falling in Love. To applause from partygoers, a female singer followed up with gospel-tinged version of Steve Winwood's Higher Love and Candi Staton's You've Got the Love. Sánchez Bezos had earlier left the luxury Aman hotel on Venice's Grand Canal to head for the wedding wearing a headscarf and large sunglasses which again bore a striking resemblance to Loren. She was followed by Bezos who stepped into a motor launch in which champagne in an ice bucket had been placed minutes earlier by staff at the hotel. Earlier in the evening, the couple's guests, enjoying a drink in the garden of the St Regis hotel before heading to the weekend's main event, were joined by a falconer and a falcon to ward off seagulls, which are known to steal snacks in Venice. After Ivanka Trump and Queen Rania of Jordan left the hotel to head for the party, Leonardo DiCaprio was seen leaving the Gritti Palace hotel with a baseball cap pulled down over his face, prompting groans from photographers positioned on boats on the Grand Canal. Soon after the newlyweds exchanged vows, Vogue's front digital cover was released with Sánchez Bezos featured in her wedding dress. The Italian designer Domenico Dolce had been seen arriving at the Aman on Thursday afternoon, fueling speculation that the fashion duo Dolce & Gabbana had dressed Sánchez Bezos for the wedding. It later emerged that Sánchez Bezos had been dreaming up the wedding dress design with Dolce & Gabbana a year and a half ago. 'It went from, 'I want a simple, sexy modern dress' to 'I want something that evokes a moment, and where I am right now',' Sánchez Bezos told the magazine. 'It is a departure from what people expect… but it's very much me.' Her public Instagram was then left with only three posts remaining on her feed — a picture of Sánchez Bezos in her pre-wedding dress, a post from her bachelorette party and a quote reading: 'It's never too late to be what you might have been.' She also changed her Instagram name, adding the second surname 'Bezos'. Venice town hall officials have said the wedding will have no legal status under Italian law since a marriage application was not registered in the city, raising speculation the couple have previously married in a private ceremony in the US. Around 30 riot police with shields were stationed in the small, walled-off public section of the island in case protesters arrived to disrupt the wedding. • Gallery: the wedding in pictures Bezos arrived in Venice on Thursday night and lavished praise on the lagoon city that has been blighted by days of protest over his star-studded, three-day wedding party. 'We love Venice, look at this!' he told The Times, waving his arms around him as he sped down the Grand Canal in a water taxi beside his bride-to-be. 'It can't exist and yet here it is!' the Amazon tycoon added as he passed The Times's boat. ANTONIO CALANNI/AP Bezos, 61, and Sánchez Bezos, 55, a journalist, were on their way to the first party of their nuptials — an event dubbed 'Jeff in Venice' by locals. Throughout the day on Friday, A-list invitees were seen out and about in Venice. Khloé Kardashian and her mother, Kris Jenner, were spotted shopping in Chanel as Khloé celebrated her 41st birthday. Orlando Bloom, the actor, was seen sharing a water taxi with Tom Brady, the former NFL player, after eating breakfast on the terrace of the luxury Gritti Palace hotel — where earlier Oprah Winfrey and Gayle King, the CBS anchor, had been seen eating. Sydney Sweeney, the Euphoria actress, was also pictured roaming the streets of Venice hours before the wedding was due to begin. Other guests to have arrived on Thursday include Bill Gates, Kim Kardashian and the singer Usher. Tom Brady GUGLIELMO MANGIAPANE/REUTERS Ivanka Trump and her husband Jared Kushner LUIGI COSTANTINI/AP Before Bezos and Sánchez Bezos left the Aman Hotel on the Grand Canal for the Madonna dell'Orto cloister on Thursday — the location of the first party — two well-dressed women in a water taxi came alongside a boat containing photographers and handed over ice creams and cold water. 'From Jeff and Lauren,' said one of the women. The following day, a camera crew and group of tourists thought they had lucked out by spotting the Amazon boss roaming the streets, with social media users sharing footage of who they thought was Bezos. It was later revealed the sighting was of Cagdas Halicilar, who quit his job last year to become a full-time Bezos lookalike, and who has since secured a role in a Netflix show. The couple will round off the weekend with a party on Saturday at Venice's former shipyard — the Arsenale, which is set to be filled with 80,000 roses, according to Italian media. San Giorgio Maggiore is ideal for a wedding party. When the Vatican decided to enter Venice's architecture Biennale exhibition, it commissioned ten architects to build avant garde chapels among the trees, including one by the British architect Norman Foster. The weather, the one thing even one of the world's richest men cannot plan for, has been far from ideal. A-listers were forced to take cover during Thursday's pre-wedding party as a thunderstorm struck the lavish event at the Madonna dell'Orto, ultimately bringing the party to an early end. For the rest of the weekend, a red alert for extreme weather has been issued with temperatures expected to hit close to 40C. Anti-Bezos protesters are also looking to rain on the wedding's parade, with campaigners No Space For Bezos planning a flash mob protest over the next two days, while a march is scheduled for Saturday at the main Santa Lucia railway station. Extinction Rebellion staged a protest in St Mark's Square on Thursday afternoon, in which an activist unfurled a banner stating 'The One Per Cent Ruins The World', a reference to Bezos's estimated $224 billion fortune. The activist was later detained by police. Over at the supporters' club of local football team Venezia, a group of men enjoying mid-morning glasses of white wine with ice said they did not agree with the protests. 'Why shouldn't they get married? For us it's meant more police, less rubbish and fewer pickpockets,' said gondolier Roberto Orio, 63. 'My only gripe is I wasn't invited,' said retired postman Livio Cappello, 68.
Leader Live
15 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Leader Live
Billionaire Jeff Bezos marries Lauren Sanchez in lavish Venice ceremony
A post shared by Lauren Sánchez Bezos (@laurensanchezbezos) One of the world's most enchanting cities as a backdrop? Check. Star-studded guest list and tabloid buzz? Of course. Local flavour? You bet. And then, time to tie the knot. The couple held their wedding ceremony Friday night, and Sanchez posted to Instagram a photo of herself beaming in a white gown as she stood alongside a tuxedo-clad Bezos, the world's fourth-richest man. It was the second day of events spread across the Italian lagoon city, which added complexity to what would have been a massive logistical undertaking even on dry land. Dozens of private jets had flocked to Venice's airport, and yachts pulled into the city's famed waterways. Athletes, celebrities, influencers and business leaders converged to revel in extravagance that was as much a testament to the couple's love as to their extraordinary wealth. A post shared by Lauren Sánchez Bezos (@laurensanchezbezos) The heady hoopla recalled the 2014 wedding in Venice of actor George Clooney to human rights lawyer Amal Alamuddin, when adoring crowds lined the canals and hundreds of well-wishers gathered outside City Hall. Not so for these nuptials, which became a lightning rod for small, colourful protests. But any desire to dampen the prevailing fever pitch hadn't materialised as of Friday. Instead, the glitterati were partying and the paparazzi were jostling for glimpses of the gilded gala. On Friday afternoon, Sanchez emerged from her hotel wearing a silk scarf on her head and blew a kiss to journalists before stepping into her water taxi. It carried her through the canals to San Giorgio island, across the lagoon basin from St Mark's Square, where the couple held their ceremony on Friday night. Bezos followed two hours later. Then, in a string of water taxis, came their illustrious guests — Oprah Winfrey, Kim Kardashian, Ivanka Trump, Tom Brady, Bill Gates, Queen Rania of Jordan, Leonardo DiCaprio and more. Paparazzi trailed on their own boats, trying to capture them all on camera. There are some who say these two shouldn't have been married in this city. They characterise the wedding as a decadent display of wealth in a world with growing inequality, and argue it's a shining example of tourism taking precedence over residents' needs, particularly affordable housing and essential services. Venice is also one of the cities most vulnerable to rising sea levels from climate change. Stella Faye, a researcher at a university in Venice, said: 'Venice is not just a pretty picture, a pretty postcard to please the needs and wants of the elite or of mass tourists, but it is an alive city, made of people who want to actually live there.' About a dozen Venetian organisations — including housing advocates, anti-cruise ship campaigners and university groups — are protesting under the banner 'No Space for Bezos,' a play on words referring to his space exploration company Blue Origin and the bride's recent space flight. Greenpeace unfurled a banner in St Mark's Square denouncing Bezos for paying insufficient taxes. Activists floated a bald-headed Bezos-inspired mannequin down Venice's Grand Canal atop an Amazon delivery box, its hands clenching fake cash. Authorities — from Venice's mayor to the nation's tourism minister — have dismissed the outcry, saying it ignores the visibility and economic boost the wedding has brought. 'There will be photos everywhere, social media will go wild over the bride's dress, over the ceremony,' Italy's tourism minister, Daniela Santanche, told the AP. 'All of this translates into a massive free publicity campaign. In fact, because they will spend a lot of money, they will enrich Venice — our shopkeepers, artisans, restaurateurs and hotels. So it's a great opportunity both for spending and for promoting Italy in the world.' As Amazon's chief executive, Bezos usually avoided the limelight, frequently delegating announcements and business updates to his executives. Today, he has a net worth of 234 billion dollars, according to Forbes. In 2019, he announced he was divorcing his first wife, MacKenzie Scott, just before the National Enquirer published a story about an affair with Sanchez, a former TV news anchor. Sanchez filed for divorce the day after Bezos's divorce was finalised. He stepped down as chief executive of Amazon in 2021, saying he wished to spend more time on side projects, including Blue Origin; The Washington Post, which he owns; and his philanthropic initiatives. Sitting beside Sanchez during an interview with CNN in 2022, he announced plans to give away the majority of his wealth during his lifetime. Last week, a Venetian environmental research association issued a statement saying Bezos's Earth Fund was supporting its work with an 'important donation'. Corila, which seeks protection of the Venetian lagoon system, said contact began in April, well before any protests.
Powys County Times
16 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Powys County Times
Billionaire Jeff Bezos marries Lauren Sanchez in lavish Venice ceremony
The sky itself is no limit for billionaire Jeff Bezos and fiancee Lauren Sanchez, who have travelled into space, and expectations were about as high ahead of their wedding in Venice on Friday. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Lauren Sánchez Bezos (@laurensanchezbezos) One of the world's most enchanting cities as a backdrop? Check. Star-studded guest list and tabloid buzz? Of course. Local flavour? You bet. And then, time to tie the knot. The couple held their wedding ceremony Friday night, and Sanchez posted to Instagram a photo of herself beaming in a white gown as she stood alongside a tuxedo-clad Bezos, the world's fourth-richest man. It was the second day of events spread across the Italian lagoon city, which added complexity to what would have been a massive logistical undertaking even on dry land. Dozens of private jets had flocked to Venice's airport, and yachts pulled into the city's famed waterways. Athletes, celebrities, influencers and business leaders converged to revel in extravagance that was as much a testament to the couple's love as to their extraordinary wealth. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Lauren Sánchez Bezos (@laurensanchezbezos) The heady hoopla recalled the 2014 wedding in Venice of actor George Clooney to human rights lawyer Amal Alamuddin, when adoring crowds lined the canals and hundreds of well-wishers gathered outside City Hall. Not so for these nuptials, which became a lightning rod for small, colourful protests. But any desire to dampen the prevailing fever pitch hadn't materialised as of Friday. Instead, the glitterati were partying and the paparazzi were jostling for glimpses of the gilded gala. On Friday afternoon, Sanchez emerged from her hotel wearing a silk scarf on her head and blew a kiss to journalists before stepping into her water taxi. It carried her through the canals to San Giorgio island, across the lagoon basin from St Mark's Square, where the couple held their ceremony on Friday night. Bezos followed two hours later. Then, in a string of water taxis, came their illustrious guests — Oprah Winfrey, Kim Kardashian, Ivanka Trump, Tom Brady, Bill Gates, Queen Rania of Jordan, Leonardo DiCaprio and more. Paparazzi trailed on their own boats, trying to capture them all on camera. There are some who say these two shouldn't have been married in this city. They characterise the wedding as a decadent display of wealth in a world with growing inequality, and argue it's a shining example of tourism taking precedence over residents' needs, particularly affordable housing and essential services. Venice is also one of the cities most vulnerable to rising sea levels from climate change. Stella Faye, a researcher at a university in Venice, said: 'Venice is not just a pretty picture, a pretty postcard to please the needs and wants of the elite or of mass tourists, but it is an alive city, made of people who want to actually live there.' About a dozen Venetian organisations — including housing advocates, anti-cruise ship campaigners and university groups — are protesting under the banner 'No Space for Bezos,' a play on words referring to his space exploration company Blue Origin and the bride's recent space flight. Greenpeace unfurled a banner in St Mark's Square denouncing Bezos for paying insufficient taxes. Activists floated a bald-headed Bezos-inspired mannequin down Venice's Grand Canal atop an Amazon delivery box, its hands clenching fake cash. Authorities — from Venice's mayor to the nation's tourism minister — have dismissed the outcry, saying it ignores the visibility and economic boost the wedding has brought. 'There will be photos everywhere, social media will go wild over the bride's dress, over the ceremony,' Italy's tourism minister, Daniela Santanche, told the AP. 'All of this translates into a massive free publicity campaign. In fact, because they will spend a lot of money, they will enrich Venice — our shopkeepers, artisans, restaurateurs and hotels. So it's a great opportunity both for spending and for promoting Italy in the world.' As Amazon's chief executive, Bezos usually avoided the limelight, frequently delegating announcements and business updates to his executives. Today, he has a net worth of 234 billion dollars, according to Forbes. In 2019, he announced he was divorcing his first wife, MacKenzie Scott, just before the National Enquirer published a story about an affair with Sanchez, a former TV news anchor. Sanchez filed for divorce the day after Bezos's divorce was finalised. He stepped down as chief executive of Amazon in 2021, saying he wished to spend more time on side projects, including Blue Origin; The Washington Post, which he owns; and his philanthropic initiatives. Sitting beside Sanchez during an interview with CNN in 2022, he announced plans to give away the majority of his wealth during his lifetime. Last week, a Venetian environmental research association issued a statement saying Bezos's Earth Fund was supporting its work with an 'important donation'. Corila, which seeks protection of the Venetian lagoon system, said contact began in April, well before any protests.
South Wales Guardian
16 hours ago
- Entertainment
- South Wales Guardian
Billionaire Jeff Bezos marries Lauren Sanchez in lavish Venice ceremony
A post shared by Lauren Sánchez Bezos (@laurensanchezbezos) One of the world's most enchanting cities as a backdrop? Check. Star-studded guest list and tabloid buzz? Of course. Local flavour? You bet. And then, time to tie the knot. The couple held their wedding ceremony Friday night, and Sanchez posted to Instagram a photo of herself beaming in a white gown as she stood alongside a tuxedo-clad Bezos, the world's fourth-richest man. It was the second day of events spread across the Italian lagoon city, which added complexity to what would have been a massive logistical undertaking even on dry land. Dozens of private jets had flocked to Venice's airport, and yachts pulled into the city's famed waterways. Athletes, celebrities, influencers and business leaders converged to revel in extravagance that was as much a testament to the couple's love as to their extraordinary wealth. A post shared by Lauren Sánchez Bezos (@laurensanchezbezos) The heady hoopla recalled the 2014 wedding in Venice of actor George Clooney to human rights lawyer Amal Alamuddin, when adoring crowds lined the canals and hundreds of well-wishers gathered outside City Hall. Not so for these nuptials, which became a lightning rod for small, colourful protests. But any desire to dampen the prevailing fever pitch hadn't materialised as of Friday. Instead, the glitterati were partying and the paparazzi were jostling for glimpses of the gilded gala. On Friday afternoon, Sanchez emerged from her hotel wearing a silk scarf on her head and blew a kiss to journalists before stepping into her water taxi. It carried her through the canals to San Giorgio island, across the lagoon basin from St Mark's Square, where the couple held their ceremony on Friday night. Bezos followed two hours later. Then, in a string of water taxis, came their illustrious guests — Oprah Winfrey, Kim Kardashian, Ivanka Trump, Tom Brady, Bill Gates, Queen Rania of Jordan, Leonardo DiCaprio and more. Paparazzi trailed on their own boats, trying to capture them all on camera. There are some who say these two shouldn't have been married in this city. They characterise the wedding as a decadent display of wealth in a world with growing inequality, and argue it's a shining example of tourism taking precedence over residents' needs, particularly affordable housing and essential services. Venice is also one of the cities most vulnerable to rising sea levels from climate change. Stella Faye, a researcher at a university in Venice, said: 'Venice is not just a pretty picture, a pretty postcard to please the needs and wants of the elite or of mass tourists, but it is an alive city, made of people who want to actually live there.' About a dozen Venetian organisations — including housing advocates, anti-cruise ship campaigners and university groups — are protesting under the banner 'No Space for Bezos,' a play on words referring to his space exploration company Blue Origin and the bride's recent space flight. Greenpeace unfurled a banner in St Mark's Square denouncing Bezos for paying insufficient taxes. Activists floated a bald-headed Bezos-inspired mannequin down Venice's Grand Canal atop an Amazon delivery box, its hands clenching fake cash. Authorities — from Venice's mayor to the nation's tourism minister — have dismissed the outcry, saying it ignores the visibility and economic boost the wedding has brought. 'There will be photos everywhere, social media will go wild over the bride's dress, over the ceremony,' Italy's tourism minister, Daniela Santanche, told the AP. 'All of this translates into a massive free publicity campaign. In fact, because they will spend a lot of money, they will enrich Venice — our shopkeepers, artisans, restaurateurs and hotels. So it's a great opportunity both for spending and for promoting Italy in the world.' As Amazon's chief executive, Bezos usually avoided the limelight, frequently delegating announcements and business updates to his executives. Today, he has a net worth of 234 billion dollars, according to Forbes. In 2019, he announced he was divorcing his first wife, MacKenzie Scott, just before the National Enquirer published a story about an affair with Sanchez, a former TV news anchor. Sanchez filed for divorce the day after Bezos's divorce was finalised. He stepped down as chief executive of Amazon in 2021, saying he wished to spend more time on side projects, including Blue Origin; The Washington Post, which he owns; and his philanthropic initiatives. Sitting beside Sanchez during an interview with CNN in 2022, he announced plans to give away the majority of his wealth during his lifetime. Last week, a Venetian environmental research association issued a statement saying Bezos's Earth Fund was supporting its work with an 'important donation'. Corila, which seeks protection of the Venetian lagoon system, said contact began in April, well before any protests.
