- Valentino Beauty unveiled Vendetta, its first Prestige fragrance franchise launch in six years, fronted by Dakota Johnson and Alexander Skarsgård.
- Vendetta launches as a duo: Vendetta Donna (tuberose floral gourmand) and Vendetta Uomo (spicy woody gourmand), arriving in the U.S. in late August 2026.
- Photographed by Inez & Vinoodh, the campaign frames the pair as an "us-against-the-world" couple, with a campaign film to follow in coming weeks.
- This is the official unveiling following Johnson and Skarsgård's June 30, 2026 announcement as Valentino Beauty ambassadors.
Valentino Beauty has pulled back the curtain on Vendetta, its first Prestige fragrance launch in six years, and the faces are Dakota Johnson and Alexander Skarsgård. Announced on July 13, 2026, from Paris, the duo fragrance (Vendetta Donna and Vendetta Uomo) arrives in the U.S. in late August.
Photographed by Inez & Vinoodh, the campaign casts Johnson and Skarsgård as an “us-against-the-world” couple bound by instinct rather than convention. A campaign film following the pair is expected in the coming weeks.
Vendetta Donna, composed by Dominique Ropion and Andrew Everett, centers on a carnal Tuberose Osmobloom paired with a salty red orange nectar accord and a sandalwood base.
Vendetta Uomo, composed by Marie Salamagne, opens with high-definition Ginger CO₂ from Peru and Italian citrus before settling into a cinnamon liquor accord and patchouli. The name revives Valentino Garavani’s original 1991 Vendetta scent.
This marks the official unveiling of the fragrance behind Johnson and Skarsgård’s June 30, 2026, naming as faces of Valentino Beauty.
For Johnson, the tie deepens her relationship with the wider Valentino Maison, where she reunited with creative director Alessandro Michele as a global fashion ambassador last fall after their iconic years together at Gucci. Skarsgård, previously the face of Calvin Klein’s “Encounter,” is new to the brand.
Valentino Beauty has been on an ambassador push in 2026, also recently tapping musician sombr for its Pre-Fall 2026 campaign. Johnson, meanwhile, has stayed busy on the fashion and fragrance circuit, having recently fronted Calvin Klein’s latest campaign earlier this year.
Takeaways
This is Valentino Beauty’s biggest swing in years, and it’s leaning entirely on the chemistry between two actors who’ve never shared a screen. That’s a bet on star pairing over product familiarity, and it says a lot about where luxury fragrance marketing is headed: less “here’s a scent,” more “here’s a relationship you want to be part of.”
It also solidifies Johnson’s dual role in the Valentino world, fashion ambassador and now beauty face, while giving Skarsgård his first real foothold with the Maison after years of Calvin Klein association.
Does casting two actors with zero prior on-screen chemistry actually sell a “us-against-the-world” fragrance narrative, or does it risk feeling manufactured? How much does Johnson’s existing Valentino fashion credibility carry over to consumer trust in this beauty extension?
