“So,” says Dakota Johnson, realizing our conversation is being recorded, “I shouldn’t say anything naughty?” Throughout our time together, it can sometimes be hard to tell exactly what the 36-year-old actress means, as nearly every answer comes after a pause and ends with a laugh.

What quickly becomes clear, though, is that Dakota Johnson has always lived with a heightened sensitivity to touch. “When I was little, I was very aware of how fabrics felt on my body,” she says. “I loved the way my mother dressed, so I wanted to wear jeans, but I had to wear tights underneath because I didn’t like how denim felt on my skin.” She’d pair them with Mary Janes—”because of The Wizard of Oz“—and a flower-embroidered mesh vest she thought was “pretty rad,” and because her mother, Melanie Griffith, wore sunglasses, she did too. “I looked like an insane person.”

That sensitivity has stayed with her into adulthood. “I tell Kate [Young, her stylist]: no turtlenecks, no mohair,” she adds. “It gets stuck in my mouth.” In fact, it was the lack of fabric altogether that drew her to the outfit she wore to Alessandro Michele’s spring 2026 Haute Couture presentation for Valentino: a feather-cuffed, boxy-shouldered, quilted shrug over a leopard-print blouse with a pussy bow, tucked into lace micro-shorts, with floral-embroidered tights and metal-tipped, ankle-strap Rockstud pumps—which, Devil Wears Prada or not, are about to make a comeback. “No pants feel like home to me,” she says, as her team bursts into laughter again. “And Alessandro is one of the great loves of my life. I love following his creative genius, watching his mind and heart at work, and I feel honored to be on this journey with him.”

Johnson sat in the audience beside Michele’s latest recruit, Lily Allen, to watch the collection unfold through a series of Kaiserpanoramas—a form of stereoscopic entertainment that predates cinema—staged at the Tennis Club de Paris. As spectators stood to peek through small windows built into the walls, models stepped into the light one by one. The show opened with an 1980s-inspired dress, plunging to a knot at the navel with full batwing sleeves in Valentino red—an homage to the Pantone-protected shade created by the house’s founder, Valentino Garavani, who passed away in Rome a week and a half ago at age 93—and closed with a show-stopping, pleated, faded-gold lamé ball gown, nipped into an elaborate, sharp waist. “There are many, many moments that Alessandro and I have shared,” Johnson says. “And that I will never speak about.”

It’s been a while since Johnson attended more than one show per season—and that’s unlikely to change, now that she’s been named Valentino’s global brand ambassador—but you get the sense she’s perfectly happy with that. “I am always grateful to witness beautiful art at work,” she says. “But I often feel intimidated by Fashion Week, because of the crowds and the endless conversations about clothes.” (This is, after all, the same person who describes her approach to dressing with lines like: “I’m wearing a dress, and whatever story you want to make up in your mind, that’s the right one.”) Which, frankly, I understand: the last thing I want to do at Fashion Week is talk about fashion. Still, Johnson has more to say than she lets on. “I’m into a lingerie moment—a slip dress over jeans, or panties over tights.” And as for what she’s really not into? “Shorts, in general. I don’t like them,” she says, her finger almost hovering over the recorder. “That’s it. We did it.”To: Pip Bourdillon

Frequently Asked Questions
Of course Here is a list of FAQs about Dakota Johnsons fashion predictions for 2026 designed to sound like questions from real people

Beginner General Questions

Q What fashion trend is Dakota Johnson championing for 2026
A Shes championing coastal grandmother style Think relaxed elegant and timeless pieces like linen trousers cashmere sweaters and easy breezy dressescomfortable luxury that never goes out of season

Q What trend has she already moved on from
A Shes moved on from logomaniaclothes and accessories covered in obvious large designer logos and brand names

Q Why is she over the logomania trend
A She feels its become less about personal style and more about conspicuous consumption She prefers subtlety and pieces that speak for themselves without shouting a brand name

Q Where did she share these fashion opinions
A She discussed them in an interview likely with a major fashion or lifestyle publication like Vogue Elle or during a press tour

Q Is coastal grandmother a new trend
A Not exactly The term gained popularity online a few years ago but Dakota is predicting its strong resurgence and evolution into a permanent chic staple by 2026

Advanced Practical Questions

Q How is coastal grandmother different from just looking frumpy or old
A The key is in quality fit and intention Its about impeccable natural fabrics a tailoredbutrelaxed fit and a curated effortless looknot simply wearing baggy or outdated clothes

Q Can I incorporate the coastal grandmother aesthetic if I dont live near a coast or on a luxury budget
A Absolutely Focus on the principles natural fibers a neutral color palette classic silhouettes and prioritizing one or two quality staples over fast fashion

Q What are some specific wardrobe examples of her championed trend
A Think a wellcut linen blazer wideleg trousers a simple silk camisole leather slides a straw tote and delicate gold jewelry

Q Does moving on from logomania mean avoiding designer brands entirely
A