Dakota Johnson's Most Iconic Cool-Girl Hair Looks

Dakota Johnson has practically become synonymous with two things: her undeniable cool-girl status and her dark, long tresses. The "Materialists" star has long rocked a signature hairstyle featuring dramatic length and a '70s fringe in a deep brunette shade. While the actor has had a rough few months, with lots of signs pointing to Johnson's eventual breakup from boyfriend Chris Martin, it hasn't broken the actor's stride. Johnson has continued serving enviable cool-girl outfits and giving us great picks for her book club, TeaTime. In fact, the "How To Be Single" star's aura has never been greater, and she's on her way to undeniable icon status.

From her subtle beauty looks to her laidback street style, Johnson is a master at looking effortlessly elegant. Nowhere is this more evident than her hair, always the perfect blend of tousled and polished. In part, that's thanks to her longtime hair stylist Mark Townsend, who shares Johnson's enthusiasm for simple, approachable styles. "We never want her hair to look like newscaster hair, where everything is in place—we're not afraid of a little flyaway here and there," he told Vogue in 2022. "If there's a breeze, I want the hair to move with it!" Key to recreating these looks? Focus on hair care, like our best tips for shiniest hair of your life, over intricate styling, to keep hair looking luxuriously glossy no matter how casually it's arranged.

Dakota Johnson opted for a thick fringe at the 2025 premiere of "Materialists," giving a subtle update to her signature curtain bangs. The slightly shorter pieces just framed her wide blue eyes and gave her bohemian hair look a modern and refined feel, perfectly suited to the vibe of the film.

In 2024, Dakota Johnson sauntered out of a Jimmy Kimmel Live taping with her hair twisted up into a messy updo. This looks works so well because the coiffed hair creates an interesting tension with its casual context. While the style might suit the red carpet, the execution is seriously laid back, with a few elegantly tousled pieces flying free around Johnson's face.

When Dakota Johnson stepped out at the Tribeca Film Festival in 2022, she wore her dark locks styled up with delicate pieces falling down to frame her face. The loose pieces added a laid-back, cool flair to the formal style, which exuded peak cool girl energy . It's almost as if Johnson tossed her hair up on her way out of the house and showed up looking amazing without even trying.

Although Dakota Johnson's go-to hair is not wild, she's made it into a very memorable signature look. Like the curtain bangs, her tresses are dramatic and distinct in length, as seen at a 2021 appearance in New York. Almost everything about this look is subtle, from the loose curls to the softly blended fringe but the length is making a statement.

For the 2017 premiere of "50 Shades Darker," Dakota Johnson wore her long hair in a thick, romantic braid. The style still featured a few loose face-framing pieces to accentuate her strong cheekbones, as well as plenty of texture to maintain the bohemian spirit that has become Johnson's go-to.

Though Dakota Johnson has naturally straight her, a little added texture has kept her style looking interesting, as seen on this daytime look she wore to appear at the Global Citizens Festival in New York in 2019. Hair stylist Mark Townsend explained to Refinery29 that he achieved the look by creating soft, tousled texture with product to add dimension and softness. "The texturizing products I add to her hair are crucial," he told the publication in 2018. "Dry shampoo ensures that pieces are separated so everything looks fuller and thicker."

For the 2018 premiere of "El Royale," Dakota Johnson paired her romantic Gucci gown with a pretty half-up hairstyle. "This is a hairstyle we do a lot because it keeps the hair back and shoulders clean while still having the hair down," hair stylist Mark Townsend told The Zoe Report in 2021. "I really love the way this style works with Dakota's fringe!" Once again, Johnson achieves a woke-up-like-this charm with loose waves and a relaxed style that nonetheless is elegant enough for the red carpet.