Valentino Beauty launched Vendetta, its first Prestige fragrance franchise in six years, on July 13, 2026, fronted by Dakota Johnson and Alexander Skarsgård and photographed by Inez & Vinoodh. The duo comprises Vendetta Donna, a floral gourmand woody built around the Tuberose Osmobloom extracted via Air-Capture technology and created by master perfumers Dominique Ropion and Andrew Everett, and Vendetta Uomo, a woody spicy gourmand opening with ginger CO2 from Peru and composed by master perfumer Marie Salamagne. Valentino Beauty president Claudia Marcocci described the scents as focused on passion, with the name paying homage to the heritage Vendetta scent introduced under founder Valentino Garavani in 1991. The collection arrives in the U.S. in late August.
- Vendetta is Valentino Beauty’s first Prestige fragrance franchise in six years, announced July 13, 2026, and arriving in the U.S. in late August; the name pays homage to the heritage Vendetta scent introduced under founder Valentino Garavani in 1991; Valentino Beauty president Claudia Marcocci described the scents as focused on passion and inspired in part by aphrodisiacs.
- The duo comprises Vendetta Donna, a floral gourmand woody built around the Tuberose Osmobloom extracted via Air-Capture technology, created by master perfumer Dominique Ropion in collaboration with perfumer Andrew Everett, with a red orange nectar accord opening, an exclusive sandalwood heart, and a deep red bottle; and Vendetta Uomo, a woody spicy gourmand opening with ginger CO2 from Peru, composed by master perfumer Marie Salamagne, with a Cinnamon Liquor Accord at the heart, patchouli at the base, and an orange bottle; both flacons share a bold graphic V motif and a pleated cap referencing Valentino garment folds.
- Dakota Johnson, who already serves as a Maison Valentino fashion ambassador, and Alexander Skarsgård front the campaign, photographed by Inez & Vinoodh; the brand frames the casting as complementary opposites drawn together by instinct rather than convention; a campaign film is forthcoming, described as a modern romance propelled by instinct, freedom, and unspoken magnetism; Skarsgård stated: “I couldn’t be happier to join Valentino Beauty for this new chapter. There’s something so compelling about the way the brand celebrates individuality, emotion and connection.”
Tuberose has a reputation. The flower is widely known for its aphrodisiac, narcotic scent, and the label chose it as the structural center of the women’s fragrance. That choice is not incidental. It is the argument.
Announced July 13, 2026, Vendetta is Valentino Beauty’s first Prestige fragrance franchise in six years. The name pays homage to the heritage Vendetta scent introduced under founder Valentino Garavani in 1991. The new franchise unfolds as a duo: Vendetta Donna and Vendetta Uomo. Two distinct compositions, one shared premise.
Dakota Johnson and Alexander Skarsgård front the campaign, photographed by Inez & Vinoodh. The brand frames the casting as complementary opposites drawn together by instinct rather than convention. Skarsgård stated in a press release: “I couldn’t be happier to join Valentino Beauty for this new chapter. There’s something so compelling about the way the brand celebrates individuality, emotion and connection.” Johnson already serves as a Maison Valentino fashion ambassador. Her presence here extends that relationship into the beauty portfolio.
How Tuberose Osmobloom, Ginger CO2, and Sculptural Bottles Define the Vendetta Duo’s Olfactive and Visual Identity
The women’s scent was created by master perfumer Dominique Ropion in collaboration with perfumer Andrew Everett. It is classified as a floral-gourmand-woody. The Tuberose Osmobloom, an exclusive innovation extracted via Air-Capture technology, delivers the scent of the flower at the precise moment it blooms at dawn. The opening introduces a red orange nectar accord: juicy, edged with a subtle salty tension. An exclusive sandalwood heart settles the composition into a creamy woodiness. The bottle is deep red, echoing Valentino’s signature color.
Vendetta Uomo was composed by master perfumer Marie Salamagne. It is a woody spicy gourmand. The fragrance opens with ginger CO2 from Peru, captured in a high-definition extract, underpinned by Italian citrus. A Cinnamon Liquor Accord sits at the heart, followed by patchouli essence at the base, enhanced by a carnal woods accord. The bottle is orange.
Both flacons share a design language: a bold graphic V motif structures the silhouette, and a pleated cap references the folds found in Valentino garments. The bottles are conceived as a pair, distinct in color but unified in form.
Why Vendetta’s Passion-Focused Positioning and Franchise Gap Signal a Deliberate Shift in the Label’s Scent Strategy
Claudia Marcocci, the brand’s president, described the scents as focused on passion and rooted in an unapologetic connection. That framing is a departure from Born in Roma, which built its identity around Roman cultural references and generational energy. Vendetta operates on a different register: intensity, instinct, and emotional fearlessness.
The gap since the label’s last Prestige franchise launch is the context that makes this release legible. The prior franchise has been the dominant commercial engine. Vendetta does not replace it. The new duo addresses a different emotional frequency and, by extension, a different consumer.
The campaign’s visual approach reinforces the distinction. The imagery balances intimacy with movement. The two figures are framed as deeply connected, bound by instinct rather than performance. A campaign film is forthcoming, described as a modern romance propelled by instinct, freedom, and unspoken magnetism. The collection arrives in the U.S. in late August.
The prestige fragrance category is competitive and increasingly crowded with celebrity-fronted launches. Vendetta’s differentiation is structural: the olfactive choices, the heritage name, the dual-perfumer credits, and the bottle design all point toward a house building a franchise rather than releasing a single scent.
Vendetta is a franchise built on a specific olfactive and emotional position, not a flanker or a seasonal release. The tuberose-and-ginger architecture, the dual-perfumer credits, and the heritage name give it a foundation that a celebrity campaign alone cannot provide. For the label, it is the most deliberate fragrance statement this decade.
Images Courtesy of Valentino
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