FASHION

Dakota Johnson's Toronto Film Festival Dress Is Quite Fishy (In the Best Way)

by Matthew Velasco

Dakota Johnson at the "Daddio" screening at the 48th Annual Toronto International Film Festival held...
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There was a period earlier this Spring around the premiere of The Little Mermaid where just about everyone was dressing with an under-the-sea vibe. After, it switched to Barbie pink for a good while, but now, Dakota Johnson seems to have returned under the sea with her latest look.

On Sunday, the actress attended the Daddio (the Sean-Penn directed film in which she stars) premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival wearing a chiffon maxi dress from Bode’s spring/summer 2024 collection. While the kaftan-style silhouette was fairly straightforward, the piece’s multi-colored motif was certainly the focus of the look. Hint: things got quite fishy!

The dress depicted a sea landscape with strings of blue coral and several green and red spotted fish lining the piece. While the pattern may seem a bit quirky, fish have actually been a constant theme throughout many of the New York brand’s most popular designs. Bode, who is known for their workman-style mens pieces, unveiled their debut womenswear selections in January (where Johnson’s dress is from) so it seems like she is one of the first to sport their new offerings.

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Johnson’s flowy dress also featured a slight slit along either side and a scalloped hemline that perfectly showcased her woven leather Bottega Veneta mules. Of course, it wouldn’t be a true Johnson look without a sprinkle of Gucci—she carried a black leather version of the Italian brand’s “Jackie” bag. She also added a few pieces of emerald jewelry from Bulgari to round out the look.

Unlike many of her fellow actors, Johnson’s project has been granted special clearance from SAG-AFTRA which has allowed her to participate in various promotional events. Earlier this month, the 33-year-old attended the Telluride Festival in Colorado wearing another maxi dress, this one from Chloé.

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While her Chloé ensemble was slightly more risqué thanks to skin-revealing crochet details, like her recent dress, it had a similar Boho-meets-’70s feel. Though we’re quite used to seeing Johnson in rather minimal ensembles for many of her appearances, the Bode dress still felt entirely her—classic, fairly simple, and with a bit of quirk mixed in.