Johnson & skarsgård ignite valentino vendetta with unexpected chemistry
Dakota Johnson and Alexander Skarsgård are shaking up the fragrance world, and the results are delightfully chaotic. The unlikely duo, brought together by Valentino creative director Alessandro Michele, are the faces of the revived Valentino Vendetta line, a partnership that promises to be anything but predictable.
A decade-long dream realized
This marks the first collaboration between Johnson and Skarsgård, a connection that spans over a decade. “I’ve known Dakota for over 10 years,” Skarsgård revealed, speaking from the set of Murderbot season two in Madrid. “But this was the first time we were able to work together. I absolutely adore her.” The genesis of this union? A carefully orchestrated meeting, involving a moving vehicle and, reportedly, a desert rendezvous – a suitably dramatic setup for a new fragrance campaign.
Behind the scenes: a wildly fun shoot
Shot by Inez & Vinoodh, the campaign visuals hint at a relationship brimming with intensity. Johnson describes the atmosphere on set as “anything-goes,” fueled by Skarsgård’s infectious humor. “Alexander is very funny,” she shared. “In the fragrance film, there isn’t any dialogue, but he was still so fun to work with. Calm and down for anything.”
Nostalgia and a scarf saga
Skarsgård’s own connection to Valentino Vendetta dates back 35 years, to a youthful obsession with the scent. “I have strong memories of applying way too much of it before every school dance when I was younger,” he chuckled. The new Uomo edition, featuring notes of ginger, cinnamon liquor, and patchouli, is clearly a nod to his enduring fondness. Johnson, meanwhile, is drawn to the Donna edition’s tuberose – “a heady white flower” she describes as “intoxicating but still soft.”
Driving like a formula one racer
The shoot wasn't without its, shall we say, challenges. Skarsgård recounted a particularly memorable scene involving a dirt road and his Valentino trousers. “There wasn’t much adventuring around, so,” he admitted with a wry grin, “Alexander was always wearing this little skinny scarf on set, like a blazer with no shirt underneath. So, I started calling him Alexander Scarfsgård.” The anecdote concluded with a rather vivid description of his near-disaster – a testament to Johnson’s spirited driving. “Dakota drives like a Formula One driver,” he added, “There’s a scene in which we’re flying down a dirt road, and what you don’t see in that scene is that I’m basically peeing my very exquisite Valentino trousers because of her driving.”
A partnership for the ages?
Despite the chaotic energy, both stars are keen to explore this collaboration further. “We don’t want it to be our last,” Johnson stated. However, Skarsgård has a specific request: “Maybe no cars next time.” And that, perhaps, is the most intriguing element of this unexpected pairing: a fragrance campaign built on a foundation of genuine amusement and a healthy dose of mutual respect – and a little bit of automotive mayhem.