21st Century Fashion Icon with 27.6 Million Followers Joins Italian General Election

2017 Forbes Selected 'Fashion Influencer' Rank 1
'Top Support' FDI Representative Giorgia Meloni Expresses Opposing Viewpoint

Italian fashion influencer Ferragni and the photo of the voting encouragement message he posted on Instagram Photo by Chiara Ferragni Instagram

[Asia Economy Reporter Bang Je-il] An Italian fashion influencer has emerged as a new variable in the general election scenario.

On the 14th (local time), according to the Italian daily 'La Repubblica,' Chiara Ferragni posted on her Instagram, "Make your voice heard on September 25," encouraging people to vote.

Specifically, she emphasized that your voice is essential in the upcoming election for the rights of anti-fascists, anti-racists, and LGBT (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender) communities.

This clearly contradicts the values pursued by Giorgia Meloni, the leading candidate for the next prime minister, and the party she leads, Brothers of Italy (FdI). FdI is a far-right party advocating anti-immigration and anti-European Union policies, and its leader Giorgia Meloni is suspected of having ideological roots based on fascism.

With the early general election scheduled for the 25th, FdI, led by Meloni, is currently leading in the polls.

Chiara Ferragni. / Photo by Chiara Ferragni Instagram

◆ Political circles paying attention to Ferragni's actions... Actual influence uncertain

As Ferragni is an influencer with significant online impact, her actions are drawing attention from Italian political circles and the media.

She is considered one of the greatest fashion icons of the 21st century, which gives her tremendous influence. As a fashion blogger and designer, she is a 'super influencer' with 27.6 million followers on Instagram alone.

In September 2017, she ranked first in Forbes' list of 'Global Fashion Influencers.'

At the end of last month, when a movement to repeal abortion rights arose in Marche, a region in central-eastern Italy where an FdI candidate was elected, Ferragni voiced concerns that if FdI comes to power, abortion rights could be repealed across Italy.

At that time, Ferragni focused on the issue of protecting abortion rights, and this time she not only urged her followers to go to the polls but also clearly stated which political forces should not be chosen.

However, it is still uncertain whether her popularity will influence the Italian general election. Giovanni Orsina, a political science professor at LUISS University in Rome, said, "You can ask her about cosmetics, but you wouldn't entrust her with your hair," using a metaphor. He added, "Of course, Ferragni influences many people, but her influence at the national level will be limited."

Giorgia Meloni, Leader of FdI Photo by Yonhap News

◆ Giorgia Meloni criticized for posting sexual assault video on Twitter

Meanwhile, Giorgia Meloni, the leading candidate for Italy's next prime minister and leader of FdI, faced backlash after posting a video on her Twitter on the 22nd of last month (local time) showing an African migrant sexually assaulting a Ukrainian woman, accused of using crime for election campaigning.

The video Meloni posted was mosaic-censored, but the victim's crying was not edited out. The local daily 'Il Piacenza' in the Piacenza region pointed out that Meloni's tweet constituted secondary victimization and called it a serious problem.

The video Meloni shared has since been removed for violating Twitter's policies and is no longer viewable.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.