Model Ashley Graham pioneered the body positive movement on Instagram. Today, dozens of curvy and colorful influencers are shaping social media.
This growing group of influencers, mostly female, come in all shapes, sizes and colors. They’re models, fitness instructors, fashionistas, actresses and bloggers. And some are just regular folks who want to change modern beauty standards. They’re tired of feeling ashamed about the shape of their noses, breasts, limbs or the size clothing they wear. They’re happily celebrating cellulite rather than airbrushing it away.
So what do these young influencers post about? Honest stories, comments and photos of their bodies, their abilities and their lives on the beach, in the gym or in bed. Post by post, these influencers are redefining and normalizing the unique beauty of every body.
Their mission touches many. They all have thousands, if not millions, of followers. Their Instagram posts show up marketed on mainstream media, such as on Yahoo’s homepage. Here’s our list of the top 25 must-watch body positive influencers for 2019, ranked in descending order of their number of followers.
1. Ashley Graham
@ashleygraham – 8.3m followers
Ashley is still one of the top body positive influencers in the world. At size 14, she’s the first plus-size model featured on the cover of Sports Illustrated’s Swimsuit Issue.
2. Winnie Harlow
@winnieharlow 5.8m followers
Winnie Harlow: She’s the first model and beauty influencer living with vitiligo.
3. Iskra Lawrence
@iskra 4.4m followers
Iskra, a British plus-size model, is blonde and beautiful. She refuses to retouch any of her Instagram images, showing her body in its true light. She works with the NEDA (National Eating Disorders Association).
4. Danielle Brooks
@daniebb3 2.4m followers
Known as the character Taystee on “Orange is the New Black,” Danielle is open and honest about her struggles with her body confidence.
5. Tess Holliday
@tessholliday 1.8m followers
This size-22 model debuted her tattoos and curves in 2013, landing her on People Magazine’s cover in 2015.
6. London Andrews
@londonandrews 1.1m followers
London’s posts are more on the racy side of life.
7. Megan Jayne Crabbe
@bodyposipanda 1.1m followers
She’s a survivor of anorexia and now proud of her curves. She looks a lot happier and healthier at her current weight.
8. Gabbi Gregg
@gabifresh 692.2k followers
Gabby’s a model and fashion designer who helped create Target’s Ava & Viv collection for women sizes 14 to 30.
9. Denise Bidot
@denisebidot 623.5K followers
She’s a plus-size model who helped start the no-Photoshop movement.
10. Sarah Tripp
@sassyredlipstick 456K followers
She’s got confident curves and a sassy style that inspires body positivity.
11. Jessamyn Stanley
@mynameisjessamyn 411.1K followers
Jessamyn is a plus-size model and yoga instructor.
12. Candice Huffine
@candicehuffine 223K followers
Candice’s mission is to show women that size doesn’t matter when it comes to running or fitness. She created a line of fitness clothing for women up to size 32.
13. Callie Thorpe
@calliethorpe 212K followers
Callie enjoys living life in her own skin in the UK. She’s also part of Nike’s campaign to encourage women up to size 32 to work out.
14. Allison Kimmey
@allisonkimmey 196.5K followers
She’s the founder of the non-profit Girlphoria, which empowers teens.
15. Valerie Sagun
@biggalyoga 152K followers
She’s an inspirational yoga practitioner and author of the book, “Big Gal Yoga.”
16. Danielle Vanier
@daniellevanier 112K followers
This fashion leader and designer in London has made a name for herself inspiring bold clothing for plus-size women.
17. Precious Lee
@preciousleexoxo 108K followers
She’s the first black plus-size model featured in Vogue.
18. Kelvin Davis
@preciousleexoxo 92.6K followers
He’s a model, blogger, activist and calls himself a body positive gentleman.
19. Alessandra Garcia Lorido
@alessandragl 82.7K followers
The daughter of actor Andy Garcia, Alessandra is a plus-size model with Lane Bryant and Dolce & Gabbana in Milan.
20. Clémentine Desseaux
@bonjourclem 80.9k followers
Dubbed the first plus-size model on French television, Clémentine founded the non-profit All Womxn Project, which works to empower girls.
21. Imogen Fox
@the_feeding_of_the_fox 48.4K followers
Physically challenged and a lesbian, Imogen chronicles her life without apologies.
22. Sabina Karlsson
@thesabinakarlsson 42.6K followers
Freckles, curls and curves, this runway model in the UK was a size 6. She rejected that lifestyle to become her own type of model, as well as the face of brands like L’Oreal’s True Match campaign.
23. Marsha Elle
@marshaellemusic 37.8K followers
Marsha Ella is an amputee model inspiring the use of prosthetics.
23. J. Renée
@jreneejrenee 22.1K followers
She’s the first albino beauty and fitness influencer.
25. Stevie Blaine
@bopo.boy 15.7K followers
He’s the rare male body positive influencer from the UK who decided the six-pack was overrated.
Whatever flavor of diversity these influencers choose to share, the body positivity movement is here to stay as long as Instagram is still around.