When Alessandro Michele filled the creative director post at Valentino in March 2024, fashion insiders had a feeling Dakota Johnson would become one of his official muses. Now, it's official: On October 20, Johnson was finally named Valentino's global brand ambassador, proving she's an Alessandro Michele girl for good.
The Materialists star waited two weeks after her latest red carpet—and, in retrospect, a final dress from her former go-to—to break the news. "I’m elated to be joining the Valentino family, and beyond happy to be reunited with my dearest friend Alessandro Michele," Johnson shared in a press release. In a single, corresponding shot, she wears a polka-dotted gown from Valentino Resort 2026—a hint at many more luxurious images and front-row seats to come.
Dakota Johnson posed in Valentino Resort 2026 to announce her latest career move.
Until now, Johnson's loyalty lied strictly with Gucci. Michele appointed her to brand ambassador status in 2017, two years into his tenure as creative director. She remained faithful to the brand after Sabato de Sarno and Demna's respective takeovers in January 2023 and July 2025. On July 11, mere days after the Balenciaga alum stepped in, she was spotted in New York carrying the Gucci Softbit Shoulder Bag. The slouchy tote debuted in the Fall 2024 collection under De Sorno.
At the Splitsville premiere on August 19, Johnson debuted a custom Gucci gown topped in metallic silver. A month later, stylist Kate Young dressed her in the label again—this time, in a lace, long-sleeve imagining of the naked dress trend. It was her blue lace ballgown for the Zurich Film Festival, however, that marked the end of her Gucci run.
In mid-July, her Gucci streak persisted with a metallic maxi gown.
A month later, she pulled off Gucci's take on the naked dress trend.
It's been a minute since Michele and Johnson worked together. In 2022, Johnson wore a lace catsuit and a velvet cape—both from Michele's Gucci—at the Met Gala. The "Gilded Glamour" dress code marked the duo's last major collaboration: Seven months later, he announced his departure from the brand.
Johnson's relationship with Michele certainly didn't end with his Gucci tenure. In fact, it strengthened tenfold. In May 2023—nearly a year after stepping down—Michele called Johnson his "own angel" in an adorable Instagram post.
The two have also vacationed together over the years, even to his hometown of Rome. Most recently, paparazzi spotted them in March 2024, with Johnson wearing Michele-era Gucci. She carried a velvet 1961 Jackie tote atop her $2,800 checkered coat.
Before ending her Gucci ambassadorship, Johnson had only worn Demna's custom designs a handful of times; she also sat out of the house's surprise Spring 2026 show at Milan Fashion Week. Though their collaboration was short-lived, it delivered some stellar evening-wear.
After three long years, Johnson is officially back in Michele's professional orbit. Expect custom couture, fresh-from-the-runway pulls, and Johnson-led campaigns from the dream team in the coming weeks. Knowing them, they'll pick up right where they left off.
