Written by AMULYA MISRA for THE DESIGN COLLECTIVE
Today, imagining a world without Instagram seems almost abnormal. Since its inception in October 2010, this photo-sharing application has taken a staple position in the lives of many. Instagram is a place where people can interact with friends, keep up with their favourite celebrities and find out the latest news from around the world. It’s where people become instant celebrities and brands gain loyalty. Instagram has also given birth to a whole new job role- an Instagram influencer.
Becoming a social media influencer seems to be the trendiest new job on the market. While it may seem easy on the outside, the role and the followers are hard to keep. There are some influencers making a real difference in the lives of many, either by raising awareness or inspiring people. Here is our list of our favourite Instagram accounts to follow in southeast Asia.
Dr. Shanika Arsecularatne, Sri Lanka
Shanika, the youngest person to be certified by the American Academy of Aesthetic Medicine in Sri Lanka, has made a special place for herself on social media. Using the handle ‘beauty doctor’, she uses the platform to ignite confidence and happiness. She firmly believes that body image directly affects mental health and tries to help others by offering treatments and remedies to overcome their problems.
Sarah Illyas, Sri Lanka / Kuala Lumpur
Sri Lankan-born influencer lives in Kuala Lumpur and delivers envy-inducing content through her Instagram feed. As the head of strategic partnerships in Zalora, an online fashion destination, her account is filled with beautifully shot pictures of her and her family. If you’ll like inspiration on how to find the perfect work-life balance, we recommend you check out Sarah’s feed!
Ornella Mariam Jayasiri Gunesekere, Sri Lanka
Former Miss Universe Sri Lanka, Ornella has more crowns than even some royalty, however her greatest achievement is overcoming spondylolisthesis— a spinal condition that causes the lower vertebrae to slip forward to the bone directly beneath it and leads to crippling pain. After multiple surgeries and physical therapy, she overcame her injuries and went on to make a career for herself in modeling and acting. Not only has she been a highly sought after model, but she also is an amazing inspiration for people everywhere.
Shenelle Rodrigo, Sri Lanka
A content creator and model by profession, Shenelle has been making waves on Instagram for a while now. Her most famous project titled “This is Sri Lanka” was a series of photographs and videos that documented her adventure taken along with Shehaan Thahir and Yashvin Senanayake. They travelled from the remotest to the most beautiful parts of the country in 22 days and captured it all in a series of vlogs released on Youtube. Made, edited and shot by locals, these videos show the real beauty of our paradise island and is not one to be missed.
Diipa Büller-Khosla, India / Amsterdam / London
This Indian-born fashion influencer has been making headlines all around the world with her fashion, travel, lifestyle and beauty stories. Diipa was born in New Delhi and moved halfway across the world for university and quickly transformed into a lifestyle guru. Recently, in an effort to use her platform for good, she started Post For Change, an NGO in collaboration with UNICEF. The foundation uses social media as an agent to bring about change. Started with her husband, Oleg Büller, the platform aims to shine light at the amazing work of other organizations dedicated to environmental and social causes.
Nayana Premnath, India
Committed to a no-waste lifestyle, Nayana takes her followers along for the ride to a waste-free living. This eco-Youtuber acts as the low-waste lifestyle guru, shares tips for a sustainable lifestyle and reviews green beauty products. She is realistic and encouraging in her journey, proving that the swap is actually as simple as making more thoughtful choices throughout the day.
Shruti Jain, India
Whoever thought ethical fashion couldn’t also be stylish just needs to scroll through Shruti’s Instagram feed to be proved wrong. Time and again, she maintains her style while practicing sustainability and strives to teach us why our shopping choices matter so much. If you’re looking to start your journey towards becoming a conscious consumer, she can help you pick cruelty-free fashion apparel that’s as sustainable and stylish.
Neha Sharma, India
A sustainable fashion blogger, Neha talks about everything- from responsible fashion to supporting local businesses. She encourages buying handmade clothing and expresses her views on purchasing from big brands. Giving voice to local artisans and brands, her style is vintage, chic and ethnic.
Dolly Singh, India
Often called by her most famous Youtuber character, “Raju ki mummy”, Dolly Singh took to social media like a fish takes to water. A fashion blogger, a Youtube star and now an Instagram influencer, Dolly has paved her way to the phones of many. Her Instagram feed is filled with funny vines and stunning pictures. She is famous for her self-acceptance messages and the laughter she brings into the lives of her followers everyday.
Komal Pandey, India
Born and brought up in Delhi, Komal Pandey is an Instagram influencer and a Youtuber. With videos of styling garments in not-so-basic ways, editorial style photographs and must-have garments, her Instagram feed will keep you hooked.
Bella Koh, Singapore
There are two things in life that Bella is obsessed with—cats and sustainability. She is a mother, a slow living advocate, and the founder of The Slow House, she lives a multifaceted life. She embraced the philosophy of slow living early and went on to create The Slow House as a destination for conscious living dedicated to nature, beauty and fashion. From cooking delicious meals made from organic produce to filling her wardrobe with sustainable brands, Bella truly believes in leading a life that lets her leave a better planet for her child.
Ucita Pohan, Indonesia
As the social media world struggles to overcome society’s inclusivity issues, Ucita is one of the strongest role models to take on the task. With beauty and confidence, she has constantly highlighted internet bullying issues and fought against the plus-size stigma. She has become the voice of many women who are not confident enough to face Internet trolls. With over 83K followers, she continues to overcome any obstacles with grace and finesse.
Trisha Velarmino, Philippines
Trisha is a writer, editor and producer but first and foremost— she is a traveller. After studying in the fashion capital of Italy, Milan, and traveling through Europe at the same time, she realized her passion for experiencing new cultures and visiting the remotest of places and has been doing so ever since. She has been an active voice in women’s and girls’ rights in Africa, Latin America and the Middle East. While traveling, she likes to immerse herself into a culture by living, cooking, eating and talking like a local. She sets travel goals wherever she goes.
Emelie Francesca, United Kingdom / Sri Lanka
Emelie Francesca, known to her million followers as Emitaz, has very unique background. With a father who is Swedish and a mother who is Sri Lankan, Emelie has travelled all around the world. From the US to Barcelona to Gothenburg, she likes to call London home. She has a Youtube channel where she posts her favourite recipes, her at-home workout videos as well as her style files. With an Instagram feed as a chic as her, we can guarantee you won’t be disappointed. Did we mention her boyfriend, Gerard Sabé, is a model too?
Simran Randhawa, United Kingdom / Malaysia / India
With her Malaysian-Indian roots, Simran is vocal about discrimination based on skin colour and continues to actively tackle the issue by calling out brands. She is a model and writer based out of London and is not afraid to flaunt her ethnic routes. Her favourite topics to post on are physical fitness, street fashion, mental health and delicious food. Her feed is all about self love—accepting and appreciating yourself.
Maria Qamar, Canada / Pakistan
What’s better than a stylish influencer? An influencer who can draw! Maria is an artist and author. After moving to Canada from Pakistan, she quickly became an Instagram sensation with her beautiful illustrations and graphic artwork. With Hindi words and phrases craft-fully placed within her pop-art pieces, she successfully manages to create comedy and art at the same time. Her feed is simultaneously vibrant, exciting, inspirational and extremely relatable.
