Sure, a lot of important stuff happened this past year, including major political news, civil war, human rights violations, death and destruction, but it ended with the highly anticipated Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show 2016. And yes, thanks to our social media stars, the year was filled with commercialism, fit bodies and cheeky photo captions. So we thought we’d just feed into the frenzy and serve you the most followed models on Instagram for 2016. You’re welcome, and you’re welcome again.
Model: Gigi Hadid
No. of Instagram followers: 26 million
She’s been all over the news lately – from being part of the Swift Squad, to grabbing smoothies with bestie Kendall Jenner, to dating former One Direction band member, Zayn Malik – Gigi is killing it in young adult life. Her breathtaking abs and world ramps she modelled for, including creating an entire line for Tommy Hilfiger, she is slowly becoming a social media star.
Model: Cara Delevingne
No. of Instagram followers: 35.6 million
She is such a fun chick, even if she wasn’t a supermodel, people would follow her just for her personality. Her modelling endorsements include Mango along with veteran model Kate Moss, and her social causes announcements are astounding. This year, she was vocal about her personal battle with depression, bisexuality and her now-broken relationship with musician, St. Vincent. And let’s not forget her outstanding performance as Enchantress in Suicide Squad.
Model: Hailey Baldwin
No. of Instagram followers: 8.4 million
Daughter of Hollywood actor Stephen Baldwin, Hailey was in the news as pop star Justin Bieber’s short-lived girlfriend. She is also known as another Swift Squad member. Though she hasn’t made it as a professional runway model, she already has a swiftly rising social media following.
Model: Bella Hadid
No. of Instagram followers: 8.1 million
Ok, let’s be real for a second here. Even though her elder sister Gigi Hadid is gorgeous, Bella is unbelievably, ethereally beautiful. She is slowly rising as a supermodel and is in the spotlight all on her own. This year, she donned her Angel wings for the first time and has also started walking the ramp for major designers.
Model: Emily Ratajkowski
No. of Instagram followers: 9.4 million
She first came into the spotlight as one of the naked models in Robin Thicke’s video for Blurred Lines. Towards the end of this year, she resurfaced in the news for all the wrong reasons – her naked photos by photographer Jonathan Leder were published without her consent in his book. But the world saw what it saw, and loved it! Omg, that body, that body.
Model: Victoria Beckham
No. of Instagram followers: 13.1 million
Well, she isn’t exactly a “model”. The right word would be fashionista. After starting her own fashion house, indulging in major philanthropy and winning awards for her designing, she is on a roll. Oh and she is also the wife of footballer David Beckham and mother to three boys and a girl, her eldest son being the handsome Brooklyn Beckham and younger one being Bieber hopeful, Romeo.
Model: Chrissy Teigen
No. of Instagram followers: 9.1 million
Her first major breakthrough as a model came when she posed for Sports Illustrated. Then she married the legendary crooner, John Legend and became a mother to baby girl, Luna. She is also well-known as a Kardashian supporter and is an advocate for free-the-nipple campaigns and public breastfeeding.
Model: Gisele Bündchen
No. of Instagram followers: 10.6 million
Remember long ago when Gisele was an up-and-coming Brazilian bomb who dated Leonardo DiCaprio? After their split, she was then known as one of the top supermodels of the world, and also a VS Angel. Though she left the brand, she started her own intimates wear brand (and models for it, and no one is complaining). She is also married to Tom Brady and is the face of healthful living.
Model: Taylor Hill
No. of Instagram followers: 5.7 million
Hill has become a known face in the modelling world because of the number of runways she’s walked. But this year, she beat the odds to become a Victoria’s Secret Angel and was in Paris for their 2016 show. 2017 is going to be a goody bag for the young model, for sure.
Model: Candice Swanepoel
No. of Instagram followers: 10 million
She is one of the veteran Victoria’s Secret models, though she wasn’t present at this year’s show. Sometimes it’s unfair to the rest of us mere mortals, but her super good looks and everything else is utterly flawless. She has also done covers for some of the biggest fashion magazines in the world.
