Chiara Ferragni. Credit: GUESS
Chiara Ferragni has announced her next step in fashion just days after a court cleared her of aggravated fraud charges. The influencer and entrepreneur now steps back into the spotlight as the new face of a major fashion campaign.
On Wednesday, Jan. 21, Ferragni appeared as the lead model for GUESS’s Spring/Summer 2026 collection. She posed for a series of bold images captured by photographers Luca and Alessandro Morelli. The campaign marks her first major fashion role since the legal case concluded.
GUESS leadership voices confidence
GUESS leadership praised Ferragni’s return to fashion and her fit with the brand’s image.
“We’re thrilled to have Chiara Ferragni as the face of our new campaign,” said GUESS Co-founder and Chief Creative Officer Paul Marciano. “Her energy, authenticity, and unmistakable style perfectly embody the GUESS woman and the spirit of our Spring/Summer 2026 collection, confident looks that are versatile, refined, and unmistakably contemporary.”
Timing closely follows court ruling
The campaign announcement came just one week after Ferragni won her legal battle in Milan. Prosecutors had accused her of fraud linked to a 2022 charity collaboration involving branded Pandoro Christmas cakes. They had sought a prison sentence of one year and eight months.
Chiara Ferragni. Credit: GUESS
On Jan. 14, a judge dismissed all charges, ruling in Ferragni’s favour. The court decision cleared her name and closed a case that had placed her career under intense public attention.
Ferragni responds publicly
Ferragni addressed the new campaign on her social media account, linking it to her recent challenges.
“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 wrote on Jan. 21.
Her words reflected relief and determination as she moved forward after months of uncertainty.
Background to the controversy
Ferragni rose to global fame after launching a fashion blog in 2009. In 2015, she became the first fashion blogger to appear on the cover of Vogue. Her influence later expanded into business partnerships and branded collaborations.
Chiara Ferragni. Credit: GUESS
In 2022, she partnered with Italian food company Balocco to sell Pandoro Christmas cakes. The packaging stated that both parties “support the Regina Margherita hospital in Turin.” Authorities later claimed the message misled buyers, as the company had made a single €50,000 donation rather than donations tied to sales.
Ferragni previously described the situation as “disproportionate and unfair” and called it a “communication error.” She also pledged to donate the €1 million fee she received from the deal to the hospital.
Emotional reflection after acquittal
After the court cleared her, Ferragni shared a personal message online. She admitted she had made “a mistake,” but said she had “corrected it” and “apologized.”
Chiara Ferragni. Credit: GUESS
“I was at the peak of my image and my career,” she wrote. “There was neither an economic nor a common-sense reason for me to deceive anyone.”
She added, “I’m not speaking out of anger. I’m speaking with full awareness. With the clarity of someone who knows she faced everything without running away, without hiding, respecting both justice and silence even when it was the hardest thing to do."
