Guess who is back?
Fashion influencer Chiara Ferragni has become the new face of Guess just a week after being acquitted of fraud charges in Italy’s Pandrogate scandal.
The campaign images, shot by Morelli Brothers, show Ferragni, 38, wearing only Guess jeans, modeling a Camden bag emblazoned with the brand’s logo, and showing off her abs by wearing an open cardigan and denim jacket over her bare skin.
The campaign announcement came shortly after a Milan judge dismissed aggravated fraud charges against Ferragni. She could have faced up to five years in prison for allegedly misleading consumers about charitable donations related to Christmas cakes and Easter eggs.
Mr. Ferragni was accused of embezzling more than $1 million promoting a Barocco Pandoro cake that was sold as a donation to a children’s hospital in Turin. Prosecutors argued that the hospital received only $58,000 in donations before the cake went on sale, but that Ferragni earned about 20 times that amount from his endorsement.
The scandal led to the enactment of the Ferragni Law in Italy to prevent future fraud and false advertising by influencers.
“I believed in justice, and justice was served,” Ferragni told reporters outside a Milan courtroom last week, calling the verdict “the end of a nightmare.”
But the legal victory came at a heavy price. Ferragni’s brand value plummeted 90% from a reported $87.5 million, and he lost brand deals with Pantene, Lancôme and Bulgari, among others.
“She’s the Kim Kardashian of Italy,” crisis PR expert Lauren Beeching told the Post in November. “She’s very charming, business-minded and commercially unstoppable. At least until now.”
Beeching predicted that Ferragni’s comeback would require “a calmer, more measured public presence” and “stable and trusted brand partnerships that demonstrate trust.”
Please enter “Guess”.
“We’re thrilled to welcome Chiara Ferragni as the face of our new campaign,” Guess co-founder Paul Marciano said in a statement. “Her energy, integrity and unmistakable style are the perfect embodiment of the Guess woman.”
Ferragni first collaborated with Guess 13 years ago, making her return particularly meaningful.
“This project was much more than just a campaign. It happened at the moment when I felt the need to start again,” Ferragni said. She thanked Marciano for “the support and trust he has shown me at sensitive moments in my life.”
“I am deeply grateful to Guess for believing in me during such a complicated time and giving me this wonderful opportunity to restart professionally,” she added on her Instagram Story.
The campaign will launch globally in February across print, digital and social media, featuring the brand’s spring collection inspired by the “daring spirit of the Texas cowboy.”
Ferragni started her blog The Blonde Salad in 2009 and has built a career as one of the original fashion influencers, but despite the scandal, she still boasts 28 million followers on Instagram.
