Italian fashion influencer fined €1m over charity claim

Ms Ferragni said that she had not given sufficient oversight to the communication surrounding the sales of the Balocco-brand pandoro with her logo, and that she would no longer tie in charity with commercial activities

Chiara Ferragni was fined a million euros by Italian anti-trust authorities (Antonio Calanni/AP)

An Italian fashion blogger-turned-businesswoman has apologised after being fined €1m by Italy’s anti-trust authority for improperly communicating a charitable contribution tied to sales of a traditional Christmas cake sold with her logo.

In an Instagram post, Chiara Ferragni said she would donate €1m to the Regina Margherita Hospital in Turin to give “concreteness” to her apology, but she said she would challenge the fine itself.