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Like the Kardashians, sisters Chiara, Valentina and Francesca Ferragni from Italy have three equally beautiful faces, glamorous wardrobes and – most importantly – profit-making side businesses. With millions of followers each on Instagram, they have become recognisable influential figures in the fashion industry. But just how did they start out?
1. Chiara Ferragni is the face of many brands
You are probably most familiar with Chiara Ferragni, one of the OG bloggers and influencers in the fashion industry. She is now the face of many brands such as Hublot, Bulgari, Pantene, GHD and more, and has 26.5 million Instagram followers.
In 2009, she founded her blog The Blonde Salad and her eponymous Chiara Ferragni brand a few years later. The success of her street style and fast-growing business even became a case study at Harvard Business School. Since then, she has attracted not only fans, but also the attention of high fashion and luxury brands.
She isn’t your typical influencer though – she started from scratch and worked her way up the ladder, learning about what it takes to grow an empire.
She stands out for her creative mind and business strategies too, making a recent move to Italian luxury house Tod’s as a board director. Having millions of followers may satisfy most, but it doesn’t appear to be enough for Chiara. Compared to other bloggers, she wears more hats than that, being an entrepreneur, fashion icon, mother of two and designer.
Even with a reported net worth of around US$12 million, she never forgot about her family. Like Kim Kardashian, she is open to sharing her spotlight and connections with her sisters Valentina and Francesca, introducing them to industry people and supporting them by reposting their pictures on her Instagram. And this has definitely helped establish the “Italian Kardashian” personal brand, proven with the success of Amazon Prime Video’s Italian reality TV show The Ferragnez.
2. Valentina Ferragni had a rough start on social media
Chiara’s younger sister Valentina decided to give it a shot on Instagram too. Maybe she thought that having a famous sister would help her, but things didn’t turn out quite like that. Instead, there were plenty of comparisons between Chiara and Valentina, especially regarding their looks.
Despite a rough start, where she was criticised by certain netizens for not being quite as slim as other influencers, she turned that narrative around with her frank comments. In multiple Instagram posts, she was outspoken about her idea of beauty, which she said has nothing to do with size. This also became an opportunity for brands to work with her by supporting issues such as body positivity.
Valentina has accumulated 4.3 million followers on Instagram and appeals to multiple generations. Luxury brands such as Prada, Dior, Fendi, Louis Vuitton and others have clearly recognised this quality in her and have worked with her closely on numerous brand campaigns.
Much like the Kardashians, she also turned her passion for jewellery into a profit-making business called Valentina Ferragni Studio, which is now a line of accessories aimed at millennials. It is safe to say that she’s definitely stepped out of her older sister’s shadow now.
3. Francesca Ferragni has a day job as a dentist
While her sisters Chiara and Valentina were taking selfies and photos for their Instagrams, Francesca initially decided to follow in her father’s footsteps, becoming a dentist specialising in oral surgery. So there were plenty of raised eyebrows when Francesca began attending events and appearing in family campaigns for Fendi and Intimissimi.
All that proximity to the spotlight – and appearances in her sisters’ Instagram posts – has seen Francesca’s popularity grow. She now has 1.3 million followers, which has opened the doors for her to work with brands like Shiseido, Lancome, Panasonic and others on campaigns. Recently, she also announced that she’s expecting a baby boy with her fiancé, the guitarist Riku.