The 50 Instagrammers you need to follow RN
The Insta-verse is HUGE – 700 million users and counting – but among the #foodporn and cliché quotes, we’ve sought out the individuals rocking Instagram their way. They’re launching start-ups, forging communities, sparking conversations, making art and putting a smile on your face, in the most surreal and silly ways imaginable.
Our chosen power players aren’t necessarily those with the most followers, but they have impressed us with their originality, creativity and intelligence. They’re using Instagram to do things differently and write their own success stories: that’s power. So drum roll, please, as Glamour unveils 50 incredible Instagrammers more than deserving of your precious scrolling time.
Chrissy Teigan / InstagramChrissy Teigen
The woman slays on social media (case in point: getting sloshed at the Grammys and chronicling the aftermath). And we love the cameos from her husband, @johnlegend. “Chrissy knows how to pull off a genius caption,” says blogger @livpurvis. “She’s beautiful and funny.”
@chrissyteigen (13m followers)
Serena Williams / InstagramSerena Williams
The tennis legend is confidence personified. If you think that a bikini selfie can’t radiate power, go marvel at a woman revelling in the strength of her body.
@serenawilliams (5.9m followers)
Kate Beckinsale / InstagramKate Beckinsale
“Fake bottoms, silly jokes and endless battles with her cat: Beckinsale’s account is pure slapstick joy. The second coming of Lucille Ball,” according to Glamour’s Social Media Editor, @katbrown82
@katebeckinsale (893k followers)
The Rock / InstagramDwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson
Fun fact: there are more people following Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson than there are living in Germany. “He’s loads of fun and has a gracious outlook on life. I mean, he’s The Rock; if anyone is entitled to a massive ego, it’s him,” says influencer @jimchapman. “He loves what he does, and that’s infectious.”
@therock (88.1m followers)
Beyonce / InstagramBeyonce
Because her account is practically feminist art. Because we need Blue Ivy’s style in our lives. Because following someone this awesome makes you feel awesome.
@beyonce (103m followers)
Lena Dunham / InstagramLena Dunham
“Her honesty and huge heart is at the centre of all her posts,” says her Insta and IRL friend @emmagannonuk, “whether she’s promoting small businesses through her weekly #specialthingsundays, shining a light on politics, or documenting her journey with endometriosis.”
@lenadunham (3.3m followers)
Amy Schumer / InstagramAmy Schumer
Need we explain?! OK, well you’re not going to see this many funny throwback photos, unflattering selfies and unstaged BTS posts on many other megastar accounts.
@amyschumer (6.3m followers)
Amanda Seyfried / InstagramAmanda Seyfried
Why is Amanda Seyfried’s account called @mingey? Because she found the British slang for ‘down there’ so amusing. She even has ‘minge’ tattooed on her foot. That should give you an idea of how funny she is. Plus, she has a really cute dog.
@mingey (2.3m followers)
Chris Pratt / InstagramChris Pratt
He’s possibly the nicest guy in Hollywood, and Chris Pratt’s videos – on everything from his weight loss (#WHATSMYSNACK) to his favourite eye cream (he’s not afraid to take the piss out of himself) – will make you love him even more.
@prattprattpratt (12.4m followers)
Selena Gomez / InstagramSelena Gomez
Bow down to the Queen of Instagram – the most-followed user in the world. “She’s a superstar, but shows her relatable side, too. And she doesn’t take herself too seriously,” says power-vlogger @fleurdeforce.
@selenagomez (121m followers)
jooleeloren/InstagramJulie Houts
Former J.Crew designer Julie Houts takes a swipe at fashion-world clichés with her satirical sketches.
@jooleeloren (177k followers)
estherthewonderpig/instagramEsther The Wonder Pig
Derek Walter and Steve Jenkins thought they had a micropig. But now Esther is bigger than a female polar bear, and likes mud baths and hanging with her BFFs – a cat and dog.
@estherthewonderpig (379k followers)
drakeoncake/InstagramDrake On Cake
California-born, New Orleans-based baker Joy Wilson (@joythebaker) decorates cakes with the choicest Drake lyrics. Genius.
@drakeoncake (183k followers)
baddiewinkle/InstagramBaddie Winkle
Tagline: “Stealing your man since 1928.” Yep, 88-year-old Helen Ruth Elam Van Winkle from Kentucky, USA, is more gangster than you’ll ever be.
@baddiewinkle (3.1m followers)
tasteofstreep/InstagramTaste Of Streep
Why are Samantha Raye’s posts of Meryl Streep in food so addictive? Streep on a burrito, Streep in an avocado – it’s a cult favourite. “Everyone loves Meryl Streep and food, so it was a foolproof recipe,” she says.
@tasteofstreep (205k followers)
mensweardog/InstagramMenswear Dog
Bodhi is a seven-year-old shiba inu. He’s also a model for major brands, including Asos, Coach and Ted Baker. Living in New York with owners Dave Fung and Yena Kim, Bodhi earns up to $15,000 a month – not bad for what started as a hobby. “Bodhi’s partial to Hedi Slimane’s Saint Laurent, and would love to wear Haider Ackermann,” says Yena.
@mensweardog (306k followers)
mydaywithleo/InstagramMy Day With Leo
Photographer Joel Strong cuts out celeb heads and holds them over everyday scenes – to hilarious effect. “I’m tickled people enjoy my work,” says Joel, who’s transported the likes of Kanye, Kim and Hillary Clinton into his LOL scenarios.
@mydaywithleo (170k followers)
hotdudeswithdogs/ InstagramHot Dudes With Dogs
Does exactly what it says on the tin.
@hotdudeswithdogs (427k followers)
Waverider / InstagramWave Rider
New Zealand Insta and YouTube star Liam Martin (AKA Liam Miscellaneous) recreates famous images (think Beyoncé posing pregnant) with what he can buy at Walmart. “I always have a good time using noodles for my hair and balloons for my butt.”
@waverider_ (1.4m followers)
quarterlifpoetry/InstagramQuarter Life Poetry
Dorothy Parker for millennials: 27-year-old Samantha Jayne’s poetry is so successful it became a book. “I created it to make it OK to laugh at the frustrations we don’t talk about,” says Samantha.
@quarterlifepoetry (122k followers)
georgiascakes/InstagramGeorgia's Cakes
When @caradelevingne shares a picture of your cake with her 40m followers, business picks up. “I don’t have my own shop (yet!) so I treat Instagram as my shopfront,” says London baker Georgia Green.
@georgiascakes (66.3k followers)
kelshmeamy/InstagramShme Custom Kicks
How awesome are these custom kicks? Oregon designer Shme watermarks her posts so customers know where to go for their order.
@kelshmeamy (42.4k followers)
geo_fleur/InstagramGeo_fleur
You know how terrariums suddenly got cool? Thank Sophie Lee, one of the first to kick-start the trend with Geo-Fleur – a little oasis of green in your feed.
@geo_fleur (104k followers)
quilllondon/InstagramQuill London
Think pom-pom paperclips and notebooks too pretty to write in. Lucy Edmonds uses Instagram to connect with fellow stationery addicts from her London store.
@quilllondon (29.4k followers)
sophia amoruso/instagramSophia Amoruso
Sophia Amoruso, the multi-millionaire behind @nastygal, is connecting female moguls-in-the-making with the @girlboss initiative (which already has over 334k followers). That’s our kind of networking.
@sophiaamoruso (558k followers)
floomofficial/instagramFloom Official
Lana Elie’s genius idea: Deliveroo for florists. “We use Instagram to show why we’re different,” she says.
@floomofficial (18.2k followers)
WAH Nails London/InstagramWAH Nails
Nail art with attitude. Sharmadean Reid built her brand on Instagram, pioneering the nail art craze. Now she has two London salons and a range in Boots.
@wahnails (426k followers)
mre.soeur/instagramCarrie Anne | Mère Soeur
Feminist merch (that you’d actually want to wear) from one cool mama in Wales. “When it began I was a single mother on benefits,” says Carrie Anne Roberts. “Thanks to the fierce lady community on [Instagram], I’m able to continue to grow my business.”
@mre.soeur (32.3k followers)
PAMPELONE CLOTHING/instagramPampelone Clothing
Holly Scarsella built a following on Insta before launching her beachwear range. In two years, her success has landed her on the Forbes 30 Under 30 2017 list and led to a collab with Gwyneth Paltrow’s @goop.
@pampeloneclothing (19.8k followers)
Elizabeth Ilsley/instagramElizabeth Ilsley
Birmingham-based Elizabeth Ilsley paints leather jackets with tongue-in-cheek quotes. She’s followed by @badgalriri and her jackets are now stocked in Liberty.
@elizabethilsley (26.7k followers)
Eleanor-Macnair/InstagramEleanor Macnair
The Picasso of Play-Doh, Eleanor Macnair, recreates her favourite photographs, posts a picture, then squishes it all up again. “They can take up to seven hours,” she says. “I use amateur tools – cocktail sticks, a chopping board and an empty wine bottle as a rolling pin.”
@eleanormacnair (36.8k followers)
rafael mantesso/instagramRafael Mantesso
Post-divorce, Brazilian artist Rafael Mantesso was left in an empty apartment (his ex-wife took all the furniture). But it was the perfect blank canvas to photograph his bull terrier, Jimmy Choo, adding simple line drawings to transform him into ingenious Insta-art.
@rafaelmantesso (618k followers)
John Ed De Vera/instagramBattery Full
Mind-blowingly intricate papercuts from Filipino designer John Ed De Vera. We love his delicate paper portraits of Adele, Viola Davis and Lady Gaga.
@battery_full (70k followers)
hollieannhart/InstagramHollie Ann Hart
“I crave to see realness, so I draw it,” says Bristol-based body-positive illustrator Hollie-Ann Hart. “I want people to recognise their own boobs, bums and tums.”
@hollieannhart (9.3k followers)
k_a_r_e_n_g/instagramKaren Ng
Hong Kong travel ’grammer Karen Ng skips the same old beaches – her minimalist posts are soothing works of art.
@k_a_r_e_n_g (50.5k followers)
thingslizwants/instagramThings Liz Wants
Liz Tafaro’s fashion and celebrity illustrations caught the eye of Eva Chen (Instagram’s head of fashion partnerships), who commissioned her to design her Christmas cards. “Instagram was a game changer,” says Liz. “You can put your work out there for millions to see.”
@thingslizwants (7.7k followers)
Eleanor Shakespeare/instagramEleanor Shakespeare
“Instagram is the best platform for getting commissions,” says illustrator Eleanor Shakespeare. Her photomontages have landed her work with the BBC and The Guardian, plus she’s illustrated Stormy Seas, a book telling the stories of refugees.
@eshakespeare (1.6k followers)
Mari Andrew/instagramMari Andrew
The ups and downs of millennial life fuel the doodles of Mari Andrew: “People respond best during my most honest and vulnerable moments; we’re all looking for signs that we’re not alone.”
@bymariandrew (487k followers)
Steph Wilson / InstagramSteph Wilson
Uber-cool British photographer and artist Steph Wilson shoots for hipster bibles Dazed and Wonderland. Backstage at Fashion Week or on a trip to Japan, her posts are unusual, dreamy and beautiful.
@stephwilsonshoots (16.5k followers)
Assa Ariyoshi
Japanese-Dutch illustrator Assa Ariyoshi has a vibrant style that explodes with colour in your feed. And it’s caught the eye of major clients, such as The New York Times and Buzzfeed.
@assaariyoshi (2.1k followers)
stoptellingwomentosmile/instagramStop Telling Women to Smile
That flash of annoyance you feel when a stranger tells you to “Cheer up, love”? US artist Tatyana Fazlalizadeh channels it into her guerilla murals and posters, tackling street harassment across the globe and on her ‘virtual wall’ on Instagram.
@stoptellingwomentosmile (18.4k followers)
flawless_affect/instagramPaige Lauren Billiot
“Flawless Affect is about changing people’s perception of a flaw and redefining beauty,” says creator Paige Billiot, an actress and director in LA. Her posts celebrate the birthmark on the left side of her face, which she often shows off with shimmering, Bowie-esque face art.
@flawless_affect (11.7k followers)
the I'm tired project/instagramThe "I'm Tired" Project
Paula Akpan and Harriet Evans launched The “I’m Tired” Project for people to share their accounts of micro-aggressions, from everyday racism to slut-shaming. Painting the messages on people’s backs, they pair the images with mini essays. “Our project aims to make people feel empowered, empathetic, sad… We want people to connect with what they’re seeing,” says Paula.
@theimtiredproject (6.7k followers)
Adwoa Aboah/instagramAdwoa Aboah
Style and substance: Ghanaian-British model Adwoa Aboah is a feminist activist and founder of the @gurlstalk project, which deals with mental health, addiction and cultural appropriation.
@adwoaaboah (238k followers)
Megan Jayne Crabbe/instagramMegan Jayne Crabbe
AKA Megan Jayne Crabbe. Having conquered anorexia, her feed is a beacon of loving your body.
@bodyposipanda (792k followers)
vc london/InstagramVC London
An all-girls motorcycle club shaking up the stereotype of female bikers and arranging meet-ups across the globe. Their rock’n’roll images are an instant go-get-’em boost.
@vc_london (15.6k followers)
Charlie Craggs/InstagramCharlie Craggs
Charlie Craggs travels the UK with her pop-up nail booth to “humanise” the issue of trans rights. “People [then] upload a picture with #NailTransphobia to show they’re a trans ally,” says Charlie.
@charlie_craggs (2.5k followers)
stoptellingwomentosmile/instagramSubway Book Review
When Uli Beutter Cohen spies someone reading on the subway, she asks for a photo and a short book review. “I want to fight the fear of strangers and ‘otherness’. Books are a great common denominator,” says Uli.
@subwaybookreview (86.7k followers)
Jessamyn/instagram@mynameisjessamyn (309k followers)
Forging a global community for body-positive yogis, Jessamyn Stanley is the definition of #fitspo.
Nia The Light/instagramFro Girl Ginny
Nià Pettitt (below) started the hashtag #HappyFroDay to encourage others to also embrace their afros. “Now people are being who they want to be,” says the Londoner.
@frogirlginny (354k followers)
