While Materialists star Pedro Pascal is embroiled in controversy over repeated inappropriate behavior on set with his female co-stars, the heroine of the same film has just been recruited by Valentino as its new global ambassador. Dakota Johnson is best known for her role as Anastasia Steele in the BDSM-themed film trilogy Fifty Shades of Grey.
With her role in the film Materialists, an American romantic comedy set in the world of luxury, Dakota Johnson was the obvious choice for a representation contract with a major fashion house.
Valentino is kicking off the festivities with the 36-year-old actress and producer.
The Fifty Shades of Grey star is getting ready to step behind the camera to direct her first feature film. A Tree Is Blue already promises a three-star cast with singer Charli XCX and Jessica Alba.
Former Gucci muse
An award-winning actress, committed producer, and icon of a style that is both free and sophisticated, Dakota Johnson embodies the values of the Roman fashion house: elegance, independence, and creative intensity.
“This collaboration reflects the House’s ongoing commitment to combining fashion and culture by paying tribute to personalities whose artistic talent, elegance, and cultural resonance inspire meaningful narratives,” the press release states.
Valentino’s choice of Dakota Johnson reflects the preference of Alessandro Michele, its creative director since April 2024, for what he calls “the poetry of reality.” Previously, Dakota Johnson had also embodied the image of another Italian fashion house, this time in Florence: Gucci. Alessandro Michele is thus reunited with a long-time collaborator.
Between a blended family and depression
Born on October 4, 1989 in Austin, Texas, Dakota Johnson is a nepo-baby. She is the daughter of actor and producer Don Johnson (known for his role as Sonny Crockett in the series Miami Vice) and actress Melanie Griffith (famous for her title role in the film Working Girl).
In 1994, her parents separated before reconciling. They eventually divorced in 1996, when Dakota was 7 years old. That same year, her mother remarried actor Antonio Banderas.
At the age of 10, she tried her hand at acting with a small role in a film by her mother’s new partner, Crazy in Alabama (Crazy in Alabama).
She was only 12 years old when she started modeling. At 14, she began to suffer from persistent depression, which she only made public in May 2020.
At 17, she signed a contract with the William Morris Agency and IMG Models. Three years later, she became one of the faces of Spanish fashion giant Mango’s campaigns.
The 2010s brought her luck. In 2010, she appeared in David Fincher’s biopic The Social Network, which tells the story of Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg. She then starred in Spellbound, a teen comedy alongside Vanessa Hudgens and Mary-Kate Olsen. This was followed by the comedies Five Year Engagement and 21 Jump Street. In 2012, she was chosen as the lead in the Fox series Ben and Kate, which was ultimately pulled from the schedule due to low ratings.
A year later, she appeared in the final episode of the series The Office. Coincidence or not, three months later, she was chosen to play Anastasia Steele, the heroine of E.L. James’ novel Fifty Shades of Grey, which was about to be adapted for the screen by Sam Taylor-Wood.
A year later, this erotic drama—paving the way for Dark Romance literature—was released to critical and commercial success, propelling the 27-year-old to the height of fame. Two more films followed: Fifty Shades Darker (2017) and Fifty Shades Freed (2018).
This year, she appeared in Materialists by Celine Song, an American romantic comedy in which she playsa professional matchmaker caught in a love triangle, forced to choose between the perfect match and her less-than-ideal ex.
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Featured photo: © Valentino
