Chiara Ferragni (Italian:[ˈkjaːraferˈraɲɲi]; born 7 May 1987) is an Italian blogger, businesswoman, fashion designer and model who has collaborated with fashion and beauty brands[1][2] through her blog The Blonde Salad. [3]
Biography
Ferragni was born in the northern city of Cremona in 1987.[4] Ferragni is the oldest of three daughters of a dentist from Cremona. Her mother Marina Di Guardo is an Italian writer from Sicily who also worked as deputy director of the Blumarine fashion house.[5][6]
At the age of 16, she was hired by the Beatrice model agency in Milan, Italy. She modeled for the agency for a couple of years and then quit, due to "other goals to reach in my life".[7] She started her fashion blog "The Blonde Salad" in October 2009 with an ex-boyfriend, Riccardo Pozzoli.[8] In December 2011, she was profiled as the Blogger of the Moment in Teen Vogue, while a law student at Bocconi University.[9] As of 2016[update] she had not obtained her university degree.[10]
In December 2013, she published an Italian languageblog, titled The Blonde Salad.[11] She modelled for Guess in a November 2013 shoot for an ad campaign.[12] In December 2013 she collaborated with Steve Madden to design a nine-shoe collection for Spring 2014.[13] Her business ventures grossed about $8 million (mostly from her Chiara Ferragni Collection footwear) in 2014.[14]
In January 2015, her blog and shoe line, Chiara Ferragni Collection, became a case study at Harvard Business School.[18] In March, Ferragni was selected for the cover of the April 2015 Vogue España, becoming the first fashion blogger to appear on any Vogue cover.[19] Chiara appeared on Lucky magazine alongside Nicole Warne and Zanita Whittington.[20] In January 2016, Pantene announced Ferragni was its new global ambassador.[21]Mattel created a Barbie version of Ferragni in September 2016, one wearing a white T-shirt, black leather jacket, jeans and Chiara Ferragni Collection shoes and the other wearing a head to toe Chanel look.[22]
As of 31 July 2017[update], Ferragni had 10 million followers on Instagram. Because of her broad following, she was able to earn about $12,000 for a sponsored post to Instagram.[23] She also used her social media followership to campaign against the far right party in Italy.[24] In 2017, Ferragni was chosen to design costumes for the 4th edition of Intimissimi on ice.[25][26] On 26 July 2017, she opened her first Chiara Ferragni Collection store in Milan.[27]
In April 2021, Ferragni joined the Board of Directors of Tod's Group.[29][30] In March 2024, she was removed from this position.[31]
In May 2021, Ferragni unveiled the Nespresso × Chiara Ferragni collection on her social media. A temporary pop-up cafe was set up in celebration of the capsule.[32] In 2022, she announced the launch of her own line of fragrance.[33]
Legal issues
In December 2023, the Italian Competition Authority (Italian: Autorità Garante della Concorrenza e del Mercato (AGCM)) announced Ferragni and companies under her control must pay a fine of 1.075 million euros following a probe into unfair and misleading commercial practices.[34] The probe and resulting sanctions were the result of partnership between Ferragni and the Italian food company Balocco in 2022 to market a Ferragni-branded Balocco pandoro, which is a cake-like bread popular in Italy at Christmas. The pandoro was marketed claiming that the sale of the pandoro was benefiting bone cancer research at the Regina Margherita hospital in Turin. The antitrust authority ruled that when buying a Ferragni-branded Balocco pandoro cake, customers were misled into thinking that by purchasing the product, they were contributing to charity donations to fund bone cancer research at the Regina Margherita hospital in Turin, further suggested by the price differential of over 9 euros for a Ferragni-branded Balocco pandoro cake, when a comparable Balocco pandoro costs under 4 euros.[34]
The regulator said no part of the retail price paid or revenues raised from sales were donated to charity. Whilst Balocco had made a one-off donation of 50,000 euro to the hospital months before launching the Ferragni-branded pandoro, no portion of the price paid by customers nor revenues raised through sales of the product were donated to charity. Despite Ferragni being paid over 1 million euros for the branding initiative and related promotional activities, the regulator said customers were also misled into thinking Ferragni was contributing to the charity when neither Ferragni nor any of the sanctioned companies under Ferragni's control donated any money to the Turin hospital.[35]
Fabio Maria Damato was held responsible for the communication and management failure in the legal dispute called pandoro-gate by the media, and partly also for Ferragni's marital and financial failure, a reason for conflict and friction with her ex-husband because Fedez couldn't stand him at work and proximity, and was terminated on June 13, 2024, effective June 16, 2024.[36][37][38]
Ferragni has suffered significant financial losses and very serious damage to her image which have undermined her credibility as a public figure and influencer and for this reason many brands have given up and closed collaboration contracts.[39][40][41]
The Milan Public Prosecutor's Office accuses Chiara Ferragni and her former collaborator Fabio Damato of aggravated fraud.[42]
Chiara Ferragni and her companies are in financial trouble and the minor shareholders are threatening legal action.[43][44]
One of "the most influential moms in the fashion industry" by Footwear News[52]
Personal life
Ferragni and Italian rapper Federico Lucia, known as Fedez, started dating in late 2016 and got married on 1 September 2018 in Noto, Sicily.[53] They have two children.[54][55] They live in Milan.[56] They separated in early 2024.
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