Guess who’s back?
Fashion influencer Chiara Ferragni is the new face of Guess — just one week after being cleared of fraud charges in Italy’s “Pandorogate” scandal.
Campaign images shot by the Morelli Brothers show Ferragni, 38, wearing nothing but Guess jeans, modeling the brand’s heavily logoed Camden bag, and showing off her abs in open cardigans and denim jackets styled over bare skin.
The campaign announcement comes shortly after a Milan judge dismissed aggravated fraud charges against Ferragni. She faced up to five years in prison over allegations she misled consumers about charity donations tied to Christmas cakes and Easter eggs.
Ferragni had been accused of pocketing over $1 million while promoting a Balocco Pandoro cake marketed as benefiting a children’s hospital in Turin. Prosecutors alleged the hospital received only a $58,000 donation made before the cake went on sale, while Ferragni earned around 20 times that amount for her endorsement.
The scandal led to the passage of the Ferragni Law in Italy to prevent future fraud and false advertising by influencers.
“I had faith in justice, and justice has been done,” Ferragni told reporters outside the Milan court last week, calling the verdict “the end of a nightmare.”
But the legal victory came at a steep price. Ferragni’s brand value plummeted by 90% from a reported $87.5 million, and she lost brand deals with Pantene, Lancôme, Bulgari and others.
“She’s the Kim Kardashian of Italy,” crisis PR expert Lauren Beeching told The Post in November. “She’s super glamorous, business-minded and commercially unstoppable. At least until now.”
Beeching predicted Ferragni would need “a calmer, more measured public presence” and “steady, credible brand partnerships that signal trust” to stage a comeback.
Enter Guess.
“We’re thrilled to have Chiara Ferragni as the face of our new campaign,” Guess co-founder Paul Marciano said in a statement. “Her energy, authenticity, and unmistakable style perfectly embody the Guess woman.”
Ferragni first collaborated with Guess 13 years ago, making her return particularly meaningful.
“This project was much more than a campaign: it came in a moment when I felt the need to start again,” Ferragni said. She thanked Marciano for “the support and trust he showed me at a delicate moment of my life.”
“I am deeply grateful to Guess for believing in me during such a complex period and for giving me this wonderful opportunity to restart professionally,” she added on Instagram Stories.
The campaign launches globally in February across print, digital and social media, featuring the brand’s spring collection inspired by “the bold spirit of the Texan cowboy.”
Ferragni, who built her career as one of the original fashion influencers starting with her blog The Blonde Salad in 2009, still boasts 28 million Instagram followers despite the scandal.
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