We have seen enough blond, white girls with the same body type do Shein hauls on Instagram. It’s time to diversify our feeds.
Instagram is full of non-traditional creators that give visibility to their community and inspire thousands of followers with their unique view on fashion, photography, or style. Here are some of our favorites:
@baddiewinkle
With “Stealing Yo Man Since 1928” as her bio, it is no surprise that Helen Ruth Elam, better known as @baddiewinkle, is a ninety-three-year-old fashion icon that proves that you can wear whatever you want, no matter your age. She became popular on the social media platform at the age of eighty-five, and now boasts a total of 3.4 million followers. Through activism against ageism and promoting the benefits of medical marijuana, she is a source of inspiration for teens, young adults, and seniors.
@madelinesmodelling
Madeline Stuart has been described as the world’s first professional model with Down Syndrome, having participated on the New York Fashion Week catwalk, and has also walked Paris fashion week, London fashion week, Runway Dubai, Russian fashion week, and Mercedes Benz fashion week China, among others. Her 349K followers consider her “a powerful advocate for inclusiveness and diversity in modelling.”
@jillianmercado
This Latina creator and model with muscular dystrophy is one of the most popular influencers with a visible disability out there. With an edgy style and experience modeling in Teen Vogue, Glamour, Cosmopolitan, Beyonce’s website and many more, Mercado is changing the fashion industry from the inside-out and has 232k followers on her official Instagram account.
She is currently represented by the prestigious talent agency CAA (Creative Artists Agency) based in Los Angeles and she is using her exposure to advocate for more representation in the fashion industry.
@essiegolden
Essie Golden describes herself as a “Fat Icon” on her Instagram account bio and a follower count of 181,000 proves that people want to see diversity and pluralism online.
The plus-size fashion influencer from the Big Apple is an active member of the body positivity community. In 2015, she started the annual event Golden Pool Party, where women are encouraged to embrace and show their body proudly at any size. She believes that black women have done so much in the fashion space, in plus-size fashion particularly, that they rarely get credit for.
@omayazein
Omaya Zein, is a fashion, lifestyle and travel influencer with 1.2 million followers on Instagram, known for her take on modest fashion and hijab styling. The Venezuelan-Palestinian sensation resides in Florida, where she went to college with her husband.
She is living proof that fashion can be for everyone, regardless of your religion, beliefs, or culture. She collaborates regularly with modest fashion brands that make clothes for active, modern women like her.
