FRIENDS REUNITED: A member of Alessandro Michele’s loyal clique is following him to Valentino.
The designer’s longtime friend and supporter Dakota Johnson has been named a global brand ambassador for the Roman couture house.
“I’m elated to be joining the Valentino family, and beyond happy to be reunited with my dearest friend Alessandro Michele. I am honored and excited to begin this new chapter with a team of such wonderful and talented people,” Johnson said.
The American actress and producer whose career has spanned independent movies and mainstream blockbusters, was most recently a Gucci ambassador, a role she had held since 2017, when Michele was still creative director of the Kering-owned brand.
Valentino said in a statement that Johnson’s “appointment marks the continuation of the maison’s ongoing dialogue with individuals that embody a shared commitment to artistry, elegance and cultural resonance.”
Johnson made her debut on screen debut as a 10-year-old child in “Crazy in Alabama” in 1999. Later on, her portrayal of Anastasia Steele in the “Fifty Shades” franchise between 2015 and 2018 made her a global name. She has most recently starred in the “Splitsville” movie this year, a comedy about open relationships, which premiered at the Cannes Film Festival, as well as in a leading role for the Celine Song-directed romance Materialists opposite Chris Evans and Pedro Pascal
In 2026, the Hollywood actress is set to star in “Verity,” a psychological romantic thriller opposite Anne Hathaway and Josh Hartnett, based on Colleen Hoover’s novel of the same name and directed by Michael Showalter.
In her newly minted role of brand ambassador, Johnson joins the likes of Clairo, Sophie Thatcher, Freen Sarocha, Jeff Satur, Lim Yoona and Colman Domingo. The latter has added to his duties as global ambassador of the fashion house and has become global brand ambassador for Valentino Beauty’s fragrance lines.
