Valentino Beauty’s Vendetta fragrance campaign casts Dakota Johnson in a sheer top that blends lingerie aesthetics with high fashion. The campaign pairs Johnson’s mesh, lace-trimmed garment with contrasting pink bottoms. Alongside Alexander Skarsgård, she appears in imagery photographed by Inez and Vinoodh; the pair are presented as lovers who follow instinct rather than convention.
Vendetta is a two-fragrance launch featuring Vendetta Donna and Vendetta Uomo. Couturing.com describes it as Valentino Beauty’s first prestige fragrance-franchise launch in six years. The name also reaches back to a Vendetta fragrance released under Valentino Garavani in 1991, linking the new launch to the house’s earlier fragrance history.
The top has a high neckline and full-length sleeves edged in lace, creating a delicate yet daring silhouette. Intricate lacework across the bodice produces a barely-there effect, while the pink bottoms add a contrasting color note. The campaign’s romantic framing and emphasis on passion and intimacy give the imagery a distinct narrative beyond the styling itself.
Harper’s Bazaar has also described Skarsgård as a new face of Valentino Vendetta, confirming his campaign pairing with Johnson and characterizing the launch as a new perfume and cologne. Johnson’s Valentino Beauty work extends beyond the campaign imagery: she attended the fragrance’s Los Angeles launch in a black Valentino look featuring an oversized velvet cape and a long dress. Creative direction was attributed to designer Alessandro Michele.
Information from Reality Tea, the campaign showcases Johnson’s developing style and positions Valentino within contemporary fashion conversations. The collaboration reflects a broader luxury-industry practice of using high-profile figures to connect a label’s visual identity with celebrity culture. Johnson’s sheer look places lingerie-inspired styling within that campaign language, balancing a restrained palette with an intentionally revealing texture.
In recent years, sheer fabrics and lingerie-inspired designs have become increasingly prominent in fashion campaigns, giving designers a way to explore more expressive styling. For Valentino, the Vendetta campaign brings together the house’s fragrance history and a contemporary pairing of actors, with the 1991 scent serving as the naming reference for the new two-product franchise.
Founded in Rome in 1960, Valentino has a long-standing reputation for combining Italian craftsmanship with contemporary design. Johnson’s appearances for the fashion house and its beauty division place her in campaign imagery and product-launch promotion, while the separate Vendetta fragrance project gives the partnership a clear focus on beauty as well as fashion.
