Black models did not wait for the fashion industry to make room for them on Instagram. They built audiences the industry could not ignore, and the 25 Black Instagram models below run from Naomi Campbell, the original supermodel, to the South Sudanese runway stars who now open Prada and Chanel shows.
Every profile was checked by hand against a real, public account and ranked by live follower count, so there are no fan pages or filler here. If you are new to how this world works, our guide to the top Instagram models explains what separates a working model from a viral account.
What ties these women together is influence that goes past fashion. Several changed the industry’s rules outright, from the first Black Vogue covers to the first natural afro on the Victoria’s Secret runway, and their audiences follow them for that as much as for the campaigns. Keep reading for what these models charge and how to find the right one for your brand.
Best Black Instagram Models to Follow in 2026
Ranked by Instagram following, these are the 25 hottest Black Instagram models right now, each with a verified public profile and a distinct lane. The list runs from the supermodels who broke fashion’s color line to Victoria’s Secret Angels, Sports Illustrated cover stars, and a new generation of runway talent from South Sudan, Angola, and the Caribbean.
1. Naomi Campbell
@naomiNaomi Campbell has been the defining Black supermodel for more than three decades, from the first Black cover of French Vogue in 1988 to runways for Versace, Chanel, and Yves Saint Laurent that still book her today. She is the most-followed Black model on Instagram.
Her feed is deliberately sparse, with only a handful of posts live at any time, and each one lands like an event. For luxury brands she is the reference point for the entire category.
2. Winnie Harlow
@winnieharlowToronto-born Winnie Harlow went from America’s Next Top Model to the Victoria’s Secret runway and campaigns for Marc Jacobs and Fendi, changing what the industry accepted along the way as a model with vitiligo. In 2022 she founded the sunscreen brand Cay Skin.
Her Instagram mixes campaigns, travel, and her own products with a warm, confident tone, and her audience is one of the largest of any Black model working today. Beauty and skincare brands are her natural partners.
3. Jasmine Tookes
@jastookesJasmine Tookes became a Victoria’s Secret Angel in 2015 and wore the $3 million Fantasy Bra in 2016, one of the few Black models ever chosen for it. She co-founded the activewear label Joja with fellow Angel Josephine Skriver.
Her feed blends fashion, fitness, and family life with a polished, aspirational look, and her audience skews global. She is a top pick for activewear, beauty, and luxury lifestyle brands.
4. Tyra Banks
@tyrabanksTyra Banks became the first Black model on a solo Sports Illustrated Swimsuit cover in 1997 and the first on the cover of the Victoria’s Secret catalog, then built America’s Next Top Model into a global franchise. Few models have shaped the industry’s idea of a supermodel more.
Her Instagram carries television, business, and archive moments to a fan base that spans generations. Brands use her for reach and instant recognition.
5. Jasmine Sanders
@goldenbarbieKnown as Golden Barbie, Jasmine Sanders was born in Germany, raised in South Carolina, and became a Sports Illustrated Swimsuit cover model in 2020 after winning Rookie of the Year the year before. Her golden curls are her trademark.
Her feed mixes swim, red carpets, and beauty campaigns, and she has become one of the most in-demand Black models for inclusive beauty and fashion brands.
6. Joan Smalls
@joansmallsPuerto Rican model Joan Smalls became the first Latina face of Estée Lauder in 2011, topped the models.com ranking, and appeared on Forbes’ list of the world’s highest-paid models for years. Her Afro-Latina identity has made her a voice for representation on both fronts.
Her feed is editorial and campaign-driven, with a curated selection of posts that feels like a portfolio. Luxury fashion and beauty brands book her for credibility and reach.
7. Anok Yai
@anokyaiAnok Yai was discovered when a photo from Howard University’s homecoming went viral in 2017, and within months she became the first Black model to open a Prada show since Naomi Campbell in 1997. She has been one of the most-booked runway models in the world ever since.
Her Instagram is high fashion at its purest, with runway, campaign, and editorial moments and a fast-growing global audience. Luxury houses treat her as a must-book.
8. Jourdan Dunn
@jourdandunnLondon-born Jourdan Dunn became the first Black model to walk a Prada runway in over a decade in 2008 and went on to front campaigns for Burberry and Maybelline while covering British Vogue. She has been a fixture of London fashion for nearly two decades.
Her feed mixes fashion, motherhood, and wellness with a relaxed, confident tone. Beauty and fashion brands targeting the UK book her first.
9. Chanel Iman
@chanelimanChanel Iman was a Victoria’s Secret Angel from 2010 to 2012 and has fronted campaigns for Dolce & Gabbana, Ralph Lauren, and Gap since starting her career as a teenager. Her Vogue and Teen Vogue covers made her one of the best-known Black models of the 2010s.
Her Instagram blends fashion, motherhood, and travel, with an audience that has followed her from her runway years. She fits fashion, beauty, and family-lifestyle brands.
10. Maria Borges
@iammariaborgesAngolan model Maria Borges made history in 2015 as the first model to walk the Victoria’s Secret show with her natural afro, and L’Oréal Paris later made her a global ambassador. She has been on more than a dozen Elle covers.
Her Instagram is glamorous and campaign-heavy, with an audience that spans Africa, Europe, and the Americas. Beauty and hair brands looking for a natural-hair icon book her.
11. Lais Ribeiro
@laisribeiroBrazilian model Lais Ribeiro became a Victoria’s Secret Angel in 2015 and wore the $2 million Fantasy Bra in 2017, one of the highest honors the brand gave its models. She has walked for Chanel, Givenchy, and Versace.
Her feed mixes swim, fashion, and family with a global audience strongest in Brazil and the United States. Swim and beauty brands are her natural partners.
12. Cindy Bruna
@cindybrunaFrench model Cindy Bruna, of Congolese and Italian heritage, walked the Victoria’s Secret show every year from 2013 to 2018 and became a L’Oréal Paris ambassador. She is one of the most recognizable Black models in French fashion.
Her Instagram carries campaigns, Paris fashion week, and beauty content with a polished, editorial tone. Luxury and beauty brands with a European focus book her.
13. Adut Akech
@adutakechAdut Akech was born in South Sudan, raised in a Kenyan refugee camp and then Adelaide, and became Model of the Year at the 2019 British Fashion Awards after closing a Chanel couture show as the bride. She has become one of the most influential runway models of her generation.
Her feed is a mix of runway, campaigns, and candid moments with an audience that is heavily fashion-industry. Luxury brands book her for prestige and cultural weight.
14. Iman
@the_real_imanIman was discovered in Nairobi in 1975 and became one of the first Black supermodels, working with Yves Saint Laurent, Halston, and Versace before founding IMAN Cosmetics in 1994 to serve women of color the industry had ignored. She remains a towering figure in fashion.
Her Instagram mixes archive photography, her cosmetics line, and reflections on a long career. Beauty brands with a heritage angle value her endorsement.
15. Duckie Thot
@duckiethotSouth Sudanese-Australian model Duckie Thot became one of the faces of Fenty Beauty’s launch, appeared in the Pirelli Calendar, and was named a L’Oréal Paris ambassador. Her dark skin and doll-like features made her instantly recognizable.
Her feed is beauty-forward and campaign-heavy, with an audience that engages hard on skincare and makeup content. She is a first call for beauty brands expanding their shade ranges.
16. Nyakim Gatwech
@queennyakimofficialSouth Sudanese-American model Nyakim Gatwech became known as the Queen of the Dark after her posts celebrating her deep skin tone went viral, and she has built a modeling career and a global following on that message. Her feed challenges colorism in beauty every day.
Her audience is unusually engaged and international, and beauty brands that want to prove their shade ranges work turn to her for credibility.
17. Sabrina Elba
@sabrinaelbaSomali-Canadian model Sabrina Elba pairs fashion and beauty campaigns with humanitarian work as a Goodwill Ambassador for the UN’s International Fund for Agricultural Development. She co-founded the skincare brand S’Able Labs with her husband, Idris Elba.
Her Instagram mixes red carpets, skincare, and advocacy with a luxury-leaning audience. Beauty and purpose-driven brands find her a natural fit.
18. Slick Woods
@slickwoodsSlick Woods went from a hard upbringing in Los Angeles to becoming one of Rihanna’s Fenty muses, walking the Savage X Fenty show in 2018 while pregnant and fronting Fenty Beauty campaigns. Her shaved head and gap-toothed smile made her a streetwear icon.
Her feed is raw, personal, and fashion-forward, with an audience that prizes authenticity. Streetwear, beauty, and edgy fashion brands gravitate to her.
19. Paloma Elsesser
@palomijaDiscovered by makeup artist Pat McGrath, Paloma Elsesser became the first curve model named Model of the Year at the British Fashion Awards in 2021 and has landed Vogue covers and campaigns for Fenty Beauty, Nike, and Coach. She is one of the most respected models of her generation.
Her Instagram is arty, personal, and less polished than a typical campaign feed, which is exactly why fashion insiders follow her. Luxury and beauty brands want her cultural credibility.
20. Sharam Diniz
@sharamdinizAngolan-Portuguese model Sharam Diniz walked the Victoria’s Secret show in 2012 and has built a career between Lisbon, New York, and Luanda with campaigns for fashion and beauty brands across Europe and Africa.
Her feed mixes swim, travel, and fashion with a warm, glamorous tone, and her audience is strong in the Portuguese-speaking world. Beauty and swim brands targeting those markets book her.
21. Leyna Bloom
@leynabloomChicago-born Leyna Bloom made history in 2021 as the first trans woman of color on the cover of the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue, after breaking barriers on the runway at New York Fashion Week and in film at Cannes. She is a model, dancer, and actress.
Her Instagram is glamorous and outspoken, with an audience that follows her advocacy as closely as her campaigns. Beauty and fashion brands with an inclusion story book her.
22. Precious Lee
@preciousleexoxoAtlanta-born Precious Lee became the first Black plus-size model in the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue in 2016, then broke into high fashion with a Versace runway debut and Vogue covers. Her career has redrawn the limits of the industry twice over.
Her Instagram is glamorous and editorial, heavy on runway and campaign moments. Luxury fashion and beauty brands looking for a model with real fashion credentials call her first.
23. Lineisy Montero
@lineisymonteroDominican model Lineisy Montero opened Prada’s Resort 2016 show as an exclusive, wearing her natural hair, and went on to walk for Chanel, Dior, and Louis Vuitton. She was one of the most-booked new faces of the mid-2010s.
Her feed is a mix of runway, editorials, and family life with a loyal Latin American and fashion-industry audience. Luxury and beauty brands with a Latin focus book her.
24. Ebonee Davis
@eboneedavisSeattle-born Ebonee Davis landed a Calvin Klein campaign wearing her natural hair in 2016, then wrote an open letter to the industry about racism in modeling that led to a widely shared TED talk. She has fronted campaigns for Fenty and major fashion brands since.
Her Instagram pairs modeling work with writing and advocacy, and her audience trusts her voice. Brands that want a model with a genuine point of view book her.
25. Liya Kebede
@liyakebedeEthiopian model Liya Kebede became the first Black face of Estée Lauder in 2003, covered American Vogue, and founded the ethical fashion label Lemlem to support Ethiopian weavers. She has also served as a WHO Goodwill Ambassador for maternal health.
Her feed mixes Lemlem, campaigns, and advocacy with a quiet, elegant tone. Luxury and purpose-led brands value her legacy and her audience.
Top Black Instagram Models at a Glance
Here is the full ranking of the best Black Instagram models side by side, sorted by follower count, with each model’s handle, reach, and signature credit. Every profile was confirmed individually, and counts reflect September 2026 figures shown the way Instagram displays them.
| # | Model | Followers | Known For | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Naomi Campbell | @naomi | 15.2M | Original supermodel, first Black model on the cover of French Vogue |
| 2 | Winnie Harlow | @winnieharlow | 9.6M | Broke barriers as a model with vitiligo, VS runway, Cay Skin founder |
| 3 | Jasmine Tookes | @jastookes | 7.4M | Victoria’s Secret Angel, wore the 2016 Fantasy Bra, Joja co-founder |
| 4 | Tyra Banks | @tyrabanks | 7.0M | First Black model on a solo SI Swimsuit cover, creator of America’s Next Top Model |
| 5 | Jasmine Sanders | @goldenbarbie | 5.8M | SI Swimsuit 2020 cover, Rookie of the Year 2019 |
| 6 | Joan Smalls | @joansmalls | 5.6M | First Latina face of Estée Lauder, Forbes highest-paid models list |
| 7 | Anok Yai | @anokyai | 4.1M | Discovered at a Howard homecoming, first Black model to open Prada since 1997 |
| 8 | Jourdan Dunn | @jourdandunn | 3.7M | First Black model on the Prada runway in a decade, Burberry and Maybelline |
| 9 | Chanel Iman | @chaneliman | 3.4M | Victoria’s Secret Angel, campaigns for Dolce & Gabbana and Ralph Lauren |
| 10 | Maria Borges | @iammariaborges | 3.1M | First model to walk the VS show with a natural afro, L’Oréal Paris ambassador |
| 11 | Lais Ribeiro | @laisribeiro | 3.0M | Victoria’s Secret Angel, wore the 2017 Fantasy Bra |
| 12 | Cindy Bruna | @cindybruna | 1.7M | Victoria’s Secret runway 2013 to 2018, L’Oréal Paris ambassador |
| 13 | Adut Akech | @adutakech | 1.7M | Model of the Year at the 2019 British Fashion Awards, Chanel couture bride |
| 14 | Iman | @the_real_iman | 1.1M | Somali-born supermodel, founder of IMAN Cosmetics |
| 15 | Duckie Thot | @duckiethot | 1.1M | Fenty Beauty and L’Oréal Paris campaigns, Pirelli Calendar |
| 16 | Nyakim Gatwech | @queennyakimofficial | 936K | Known as the Queen of the Dark, advocate for dark-skinned beauty |
| 17 | Sabrina Elba | @sabrinaelba | 828K | Somali-Canadian model, UN IFAD Goodwill Ambassador, S’Able Labs co-founder |
| 18 | Slick Woods | @slickwoods | 706K | Fenty muse who walked the Savage X Fenty show while pregnant |
| 19 | Paloma Elsesser | @palomija | 651K | Model of the Year at the 2021 British Fashion Awards, Vogue covers |
| 20 | Sharam Diniz | @sharamdiniz | 589K | Angolan-Portuguese model who walked the Victoria’s Secret show in 2012 |
| 21 | Leyna Bloom | @leynabloom | 564K | First trans woman of color on an SI Swimsuit cover |
| 22 | Precious Lee | @preciousleexoxo | 454K | First Black plus-size model in SI Swimsuit, Versace runway, Vogue covers |
| 23 | Lineisy Montero | @lineisymontero | 351K | Prada exclusive who opened the Resort 2016 show with her natural hair |
| 24 | Ebonee Davis | @eboneedavis | 331K | Calvin Klein campaign in natural hair, TED talk on racism in modeling |
| 25 | Liya Kebede | @liyakebede | 269K | First Black face of Estée Lauder, founder of Lemlem |
How Brands Work With Black Instagram Models
The commercial case is simple. Black consumers are among the most engaged audiences on Instagram and among the most underserved by brands, so campaigns fronted by Black models routinely outperform on engagement, especially in beauty, hair care, and fashion. The models above are booked for that performance, not just for optics.
Rates follow the same tiers as the rest of the industry. Our breakdown of influencer rates walks through what drives pricing. Naomi Campbell, Winnie Harlow, and the other names above 5 million followers are booked through agencies for six-figure campaign fees, while models in the 1 to 5 million range typically land between several thousand and tens of thousands of dollars per post.
Product readiness comes before casting. A beauty brand that books Duckie Thot or Nyakim Gatwech without a shade range that works on deep skin creates a backlash rather than a sale, and the same goes for hair-care brands that have not tested on textured hair. Fix the product first, then cast.
The other rule is to avoid tokenism. Booking one Black model for a single diversity post reads exactly as what it is, while sustained partnerships across a season build trust with her audience and yours. The principles match any beauty influencer marketing campaign, with creative control resting with the model, because her audience can tell when a brand is speaking through her rather than with her.
How to Find Black Instagram Models for Your Campaign
If your budget does not stretch to supermodel rates, look one or two tiers down. Thousands of Black models with 10K to 300K followers produce campaign-quality beauty, hair, and fashion content at a fraction of the cost, and their engagement rates are usually several times higher than the mega accounts on this list.
Our guide on how to find influencers covers the search process step by step, from hashtag mining and lookalike research to vetting an account for fake followers before you reach out.
The fastest path is a marketplace. On Ainfluencer, brands can filter creators by niche, location, follower range, and engagement, invite the models that fit, negotiate in chat, and keep payment in escrow until the content is approved. It is free for brands to start, which makes it a low-risk way to test a few Black creators on real product content before committing to a bigger name.
Conclusion
From Naomi Campbell at number one to Liya Kebede at number 25, these are the top Black Instagram models of 2026, ranked by live follower counts and confirmed one profile at a time. The list covers the pioneers who broke fashion’s color line, the Victoria’s Secret Angels and Sports Illustrated cover stars of the 2010s, and the runway generation that now opens the biggest shows in Paris and Milan.
Modeling is only one lane. If you want the broader creator picture, our roundup of the top Black influencers covers creators across every niche, and the curvy Instagram models list overlaps with several names here. Pick the profiles that match your taste or your brand, hit follow, and watch how the best in the business run a feed.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is the most-followed Black model on Instagram?
Naomi Campbell leads with 15.2 million followers, built on more than three decades at the top of fashion. Winnie Harlow (9.6M), Jasmine Tookes (7.4M), and Tyra Banks (7.0M) follow. All four combine modeling with businesses or television, which is a big part of why their audiences keep growing.
How were these Black Instagram models ranked?
Purely by live Instagram follower count, checked in September 2026 and shown the way Instagram displays it. Every account was verified as the model’s real profile, and only public, embeddable profiles were included, which is why a few well-known names are absent. Fan pages, agency accounts, and inactive profiles were left out.
Which of these models broke barriers in fashion?
Many. Naomi Campbell was the first Black model on the cover of French Vogue, Tyra Banks the first on a solo Sports Illustrated Swimsuit cover, and Liya Kebede the first Black face of Estée Lauder. Maria Borges was the first to walk the Victoria’s Secret show with a natural afro, Anok Yai the first Black model to open Prada since 1997, and Leyna Bloom and Precious Lee each broke SI Swimsuit barriers.
How much do Black Instagram models charge for a sponsored post?
It depends on reach, engagement, and usage rights. Names above 5 million followers are booked through agencies for six-figure campaign fees. Models in the 1 to 5 million range typically command several thousand to tens of thousands of dollars per post, while established models with 300K to 900K followers often land between one and ten thousand dollars, sometimes less for gifted or affiliate deals.
Which countries are these models from?
The list spans the United States, the UK, France, Canada, Brazil, Puerto Rico, the Dominican Republic, Angola, Ethiopia, Somalia, and South Sudan, plus models raised in Australia. That range matters because a Black model’s audience often maps to her home market and diaspora, so a brand targeting Brazil, the UK, or West Africa can pick accordingly.
How can a brand find Black Instagram models on a smaller budget?
Look below the celebrity tier. Black models with 10K to 300K followers create campaign-quality beauty, hair, and fashion content at a fraction of the cost, often with much higher engagement, and their followers are the exact shoppers many brands underserve. A free marketplace like Ainfluencer lets you filter creators by niche, location, follower range, and engagement, then hold payment in escrow until the content is approved.
