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Dakota Johnson is the face of Calvin Klein’s latest underwear and denim campaign, and it leans hard into the brand’s old playbook. Minimal styling, confident attitude and imagery that’s unapologetically sexy.
The campaign shows the actress in a series of stripped-back scenes, including lounging poolside in Calvin Klein’s Ultralight underwear and wearing loose, ripped denim with a visible black thong. The styling is deliberately provocative, but still very much in Calvin Klein territory.
For Johnson, the relaxed tone of the campaign reflects where she’s at in life. In an interview with ELLE, she said the project aligned with how she currently feels about herself and her body.
“I’m at a place in my womanhood where I feel quite calm and centred,” Johnson said. “I spend a lot of time at home, I feel very comfortable in my body. Doing the denim and underwear campaign in the tone of very laid-back sensuality felt like it’s just a sort of truth of where I’m at right now.”
A Familiar Calvin Klein Playbook
Calvin Klein has been running a similar formula since the 1990s: simple sets, denim or underwear, and a celebrity who can carry the attitude. From the brand’s famous Kate Moss-era ads to Justin Bieber’s headline-grabbing campaigns in the 2010s, provocation has always been part of the mix.
Johnson’s shoot is a perfectly timed return to the 90s playbook that served Calvin Klein so well.
The styling centres on essentials. A black Ultralight bra and underwear set designed to feel lightweight and supportive, paired with loose, ripped denim that reflects the relaxed silhouettes trending again right now. The overall look stays intentionally minimal, letting the attitude carry the campaign rather than elaborate styling.
Johnson says those baggy jeans have already become a favourite.
“I am very into the Calvin baggy, ripped jeans at the moment,” she said. “They can be dressed up or down and I feel slinky and comfortable in them.”
Feeling Good in Your Own Skin
The campaign has also sparked conversation online, with much of the reaction focusing on its overtly sexy tone and Johnson’s comments about confidence and feeling comfortable in her own body.
For the actress, the idea of what counts as “sexy” has shifted over time.
“I think the sexiest clothing items are the ones that make you feel good in your body,” she said. “Feeling good in clothes changes your energy and physicality.”
And sometimes, she adds, that feeling has nothing to do with lingerie or denim at all.
“Sometimes being in a big ratty T-shirt is the sexiest thing in the world.”
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