The 20+ Most Interesting Instagram Models You Should Be Following Right Now

We love ourselves some inspiring queens and these Instagram models fit the bill.

1. Instagram Models: @allegrashaw

Why we love her: Allegra has her own clothing line, Uncle, and inspires girls to embrace themselves through fashion. However, she has also openly spoken out about mental health on her YouTube channel, and is always offering tips relative to reducing anxiety, meditation, self care, etc. While a lot of Instagram models choose not to speak out about their struggles, Allegra unveils her true self, and we relate to her so much because of that.

2. @naomihhimada

https://www.instagram.com/p/BhrWjy_FsOa/?taken-by=naomishimada

Why we love her: Naomi Shimada is a successful, plus sized model that is fighting for advocacy within the modelling industry. She actively speaks out against tokenizing plus sized modelling, and hopes to ensure that the term “plus sized” is no longer seen as a dirty word within the industry, but rather, something that is embraced and appreciated.

3. @emdavies___

Why we love her: Em Davies is fashion goals, yes, but her personality and her drive are the things that inspire us about her. Not only does she work with all of her friends to come up with, and physically create her outfits, a glimpse at her newly created YouTube channel and vlogs has us in awe of her down to earth personality and her thankfulness with her community. We love a humble queen.

4. @elisha__h x @ reneeherbert_

Why we love them: The Herbert twins are quickly becoming the most followed twins on Instagram, but we love their laid back style and their free spirited approach to life. Between their YouTube channel, and their different Instagram posts, these girls will always bring a smile to your face when you interact with their content. They are unapologetically themselves, and that’s important in this generation.

5. @mynamesdiana

Why we love her: We follow Diana because of how self aware she is. Known for taking time away from social media often, her audience understands that she is staying true to herself and what she needs. Many comments are from others like her talking about how she helped them to embrace their need to introvert and self-care outside of the internet. Diana is all of us, she just openly admits it, and we love that humanness.

6. @linmick

Why we love her: Hands down, Lindsay stays true to herself in every way. That is why we admire her. Despite being a popular model in the industry, her feed isn’t riddled with modelling shots and perfectly edited photos. She simply just shares her life, and her art, alongside a unique and fearless style, and a design ambition that inspires the hell out of us.

7. @olivegotkinks

Why we love her: Olive is the next big model to come out of Instagram — we are calling it here. But she is also extremely open with her following, and often posts captions related to diary entries, and girl talks. She is the type of woman who doesn’t feel ashamed for ever having felt lost or confused or lonely — she writes about it. She shares it. And we admire her for it.

8. @supa_ines


Why we love her: Ines Rau, a French fashion model, was the very first transgender model in an edition of PlayBoy. She accomplished that in late 2017, and used her spotlight to advocate for being exactly who you want to be, and ensuring that you push yourself to get there. Not only is Ines captivating, but we love her because of her heart. She is a true advocate. In her PlayBoy interview she stated, “I will always fight for LGBTQ rights and women’s rights, but above everything else, my cause is the environment. Nothing touches me more than fighting against global warming. I was made to fight for the planet—the forest, the animals, the air. If I get famous, that’s my first battle.”

9. @charlotteslawrence

Why we love her: We want to be friends with Charlotte Lawrence. She has been toted as a “a freak-force to be reckoned with” by Fendi, and she has modelled for major fashion brands, like Vogue, Marie Claire and Teen Vogue. Not only is she chic, but she is also has a voice on her that is often called angelic and groundbreaking. As a singer/songwriter, she’s already crushed Spotify’s Viral 50 Global Chart, and has started touring the world spreading her light.

10. @tiajonsson

https://www.instagram.com/p/Bfgb0_pBoBB/?taken-by=tiajonsson

Why we love her: Tia is boldly beautiful, and has modelled for cultural powerhouses like Off White, but her whole platform is rooted in loving your uniqueness and embracing the skin you are in. In an Interview with Allure, she said, “People will message me on Instagram: ‘You’re so brave.’ I appreciate these messages, but they imply that my skin is different. I love my skin. I’m lucky I’m growing up at a time when the fashion industry is celebrating uniqueness. Before, I probably wouldn’t have the opportunities I do now.”

11. @sonnyturner___

Why we love her: A few months ago, Sonny Turner, posted a photo of herself in a bikini and ranted about the sizing in retail stores. She stood up for every woman when she said “It’s not my body that’s wrong, it’s your stupid, stringy bikinis.” Taking on major retailers and calling out the industry for truly missing the mark when it comes to size inclusivity, catapulted Sonny into the spotlight, and we have been obsessed with her ever since. Our favorite line from her? “Modelling hasn’t changed the way I view my racial identity. If anything it’s made me realize that, yes I am different and being different is ok, but being different is also beautiful.” Fuck. Yes.

12. @yasminsuteja

https://www.instagram.com/p/BiO3NJcHpS3/?taken-by=yasminsuteja
Why we love her: Yasmin Suteja is a Renaissance woman if we have ever seen one. She pops up in various modelling campaigns, but also shoots them with her company Culture Machine. She is a photographer, a business owner, a fashion risk taker, an entrepreneur who is smart as hell, but most of all, she is one of the most creative minds on Instagram right now, and she is embracing the hell out of her personal eye. We love Yasmin because everything she does is a reflection of herself, from her whimsical film shoots, to her clothing, it’s all so authentic.

13. @kathebbss


Why we love her: We love Kath because she is pure sunshine. When you look at her Instagram you can just tell that she is the kind of woman who uplifts and tries to make everyone around her feel seen and at ease. She is a health advocate, and even runs her own smoothie stand at markets in Australia, and she has inspired us to take care of ourselves through her fitness and recipe posts. We adore people like Kath, because she reminds us to smile even on the days we feel like we cannot.

14. @vbiancav

https://www.instagram.com/p/BiJ_PLnFMG-/?taken-by=vbiancav
Why we love her: Bianca Valle is your new muse. Seriously. She lives to create art that is an extension of herself, and is always empowering others to do the same with their passion. We also love her outlook on life, and she is always sharing really beautifully encouraging pieces of advice with her followers. In an Interview with Urban Outfitters, she said, “I know putting yourself out there is daunting, but believe in what you want to do and go find the opportunities, both big and small. They’re out there.” We are here for it.

15. @vanellimelli


Why we love her: Melanie Kieback’s Instagram is filled with the kind of photos that inspire within you a youthful authenticity. Always smiling, exploring, and pushing her creative limits, we love Melanie because she goes against the grain. After starting a blog at the age of 13, she has grown into Instagram’s sweetheart, always promoting positivity and a infectious energy. We love anyone who speaks like this: “I just like smiling to people´s faces, because most of them look grumpy, especially in Berlin and sometimes they just start smiling back.”

16. @charlyjordan


Why we love her: Charly Jordan is a seriously cool girl, with a heart of gold. It is very clear that others are picking up on this, as well, and you probably already follow her, but we had to add her in because we truly admire her so much. Not only is she self-built, but she is also so motivated to create something beautiful in the world, and is constantly talking about how she wants to push herself to do more things that will grow her. We absolutely love when someone is so down to earth and self aware when it comes to Instagram, and we’re glad that someone like Charly is in the spotlight for that.

17. @mylifeaseva

https://www.instagram.com/p/BfZpbDjjiEd/?taken-by=mylifeaseva
Why we love her: Where do we even begin with Eva Gutowski? Eva is an incredibly well rounded human being. She is always making others laugh, while also empowering them to be silly and to love life at the same time. She spends a lot of her time creating content for her audience, which consists of a lot of young fans, and it is clear that she had dedicated her platform to helping them grow into themselves. She advocates for veganism and environmental love, and feels so deeply about reducing one’s waste in the world. Stories teaching others how to reduce their footprint, or posts related to animal-free recipes, are growing in numbers on her feed, and we love that she is so dedicated to something she believes in. Nothing is better than an influencer that uses their platform to educate and advocate for what they wholeheartedly believe in.

18. @lucetteromy

https://www.instagram.com/p/BhuzCpWHi7O/?taken-by=lucetteromy
Why we love her: We love Lucette because she is simply captivating. She photographs women in the most honest and authentic way, and she is unapologetic when it comes to doing so. Not only is she a talented creative, she also designs a line called The Wylde, which only uses sustainable, plant dyed fabrics that are natural and locally sourced. She often speaks out against fast fashion, and is always advocating for our generation to be smarter when it comes to the clothes we buy and where they are being produced. She is so switched on, and we love that kind of passion in another human being.

19. @plantifulsoul


Why we love her: Claire’s energy will take your breath away. It is as simple as that. All you have to do is read an Instagram caption of hers, or watch one of her YouTube videos, and you will quite literally feel lighter, and understood, and seen. It is a beautiful thing, when someone over the internet has the capacity to move you deeply through words and visuals. Claire is dedicated to her art, and is open and honest with her audience to a point where it has truly become a family, and we admire that kind of vulnerability.

20. @alliemichellel


Why we love her: We love Allie Michelle because her energy is infectious. She is constantly sharing her heart on her Instagram, and she encourages others to do the same. She inspires her followers to connect more, to love more, to hope more, and to dream more, all while growing and figuring things out on her own — which she is also very honest about. Allie is one of our favorite writers on Instagram because there is something magical about her. She is a true poet at heart, you can tell that when she posts a video of herself reading her art, or she opens up in her captions. When you find such an authentic soul on the internet, it floors you, and Allie manages to do that every single time she posts.

21. @adwoaaboah

https://www.instagram.com/p/BifRw0sBqHc/?taken-by=adwoaaboah
Why we love her: We admire Adwoa Aboah, deeply. Not only has she completely challenged and changed the way the industry casts “supermodels” but she is also the creator of Gurls Talk — an organization that breaks down stigmas in culture, and encourages women to talk about all things from sex work to body acceptance. Adwoa described Gurls Talk as “everything I ever needed when I was at school. It’s a safe place—without stigma, without shame—where we challenge the social norms.” Talk about changing the way we educate women and elevate them. Adwoa is doing some of the best work in the industry right now, and we love her for it.

22. @louisefollain

https://www.instagram.com/p/BhZZHtVlLan/?taken-by=louisefollain
Why we love her: Louise Follain has been toted as the official “French Girl Of Instagram” and we couldn’t agree more. Through her unapologetic, mysterious Parisian vibe, to her cool, nice girl attitude, we are getting some serious Jane Birkin vibes from this beauty, and we are excited to see her grow.

23. @tsunaina

https://www.instagram.com/p/BhZL0wklxxT/?taken-by=tsunaina
Why we love her: Do we even have to explain this one? Tsunaina is model to watch from Tibet, who was street scouted and walked during London Fashion Week. But we love her creativity, and her depth. One look at Tsunaina’s Instagram and you are captivated, and inspired. There is a deep sense of artistry on her feed, and we are always taken aback by its beauty. We love a unique queen.

24. @lilmiquela


Why we love her: Lil Miquela is art. Literally. The first virtual influencer on the internet, she was created by a company called Brud that wanted to do something different when it came to online personalities. Lil Miquela was introduced to the world, and quickly shot to stardom due to people’s inability to tell if she was real or not. If you look at the comments on her page, she is still stumping those who follow her hyper-realistic lifestyle. Not only is Miquela super popular, but she has style for days and is starting to show her true personality to her audience after a “falling” out with her creators. A publicity stunt? Yes. But its brilliant, and we are hooked.

25. @salemmitchell


Why we love her: Salem Mitchell is teaching people that bold self-confidence is the greatest gift you can give yourself. Salem’s cool girl style has gained her a hefty following, but we stay for her encouragement. Our favorite thing she’s said? “It’s really easy to get caught up in comparing yourself and your journey to others, especially with social media. You constantly see people sharing different things they’re doing, you see all the trends, you see who’s “hot” right now, and it can really make you feel like you need to fit into the social standards you see online. When in reality, you’re who’s hot right now, you can be setting the trends, and being you and doing you is the best thing you could be doing.” PREACH, Salem, Preach. Thought Catalog Logo Mark

January Nelson is a writer, editor, and dreamer. She writes about astrology, games, love, relationships, and entertainment. January graduated with an English and Literature degree from Columbia University.