If we added up the amount of time we’ve spent scrolling through Instagram this year, the total would probably surpass time spent IRL. But who wouldn’t want to waste time goggling at the ‘gram when there’s so much goodness to stalk, share and religiously follow in 2018? From elusive influencers to bold beauty looks, ironic noughties fashion to unexpectedly dreamy Simpsons’ scenes, we’ve rounded up our favourites from the past year — if you’re aren’t obsessed already, you will be.
@ecce____homo
The fashion world may be synonymous with perfection, but throughout 2018, the elusive influencer @ecce____homo — who has recently revealed his identity as a 30-year-old fashion buyer based in Milan — has been inundating us with images proving otherwise. Littering his feed with curling toes, blistered heels, Moschino good chainage, and diamante-encrusted excess, his Insta mood board is an example of so-bad-it’s-good-fashion at its finest. We talked to him back in September about what it’s like to be fashion’s most enigmatic and a-typical influencer.
@filthyratbag
If there’s one thing we love more than insanely relatable memes, it’s insanely relatable artistic illustrations, and Melbourne-based Celeste Mountjoy – also known as @filthyratbag – has been filling our feeds with the latter in earnest all year. Featuring explicit vocabulary and sketches of sometimes surreal scenes from awkward sexual encounters to alcohol-fuelled endeavours, @filthyratbag has definitely been a reassuring reminder that we’re not alone in experiencing our #millennialproblems. Check out our interview with Celeste Mountjoy where she revealed her 14 firsts ahead of her first solo exhibition (IRL) back in August.
@rarebooksparis
If one of your biggest fashion blows of 2018 was Pheobe Philo stepping down as head honcho at Celine, never fear, @rarebooksparis is here! Curated by an anonymous book collector based in the French capital, this account archives intriguing images of rare Margiela, Issey Miyake and (you guessed it) Pheobe Philo publications as well as a myriad of collectable art and culture fragments, making it the perfect page to head to for a quick lesson in recent art and fashion history. Find out more in our #FollowFriday article.
@thegreatwomenartists
Whilst Victoria Beckham’s Female Triumphant exhibition at her London store last week celebrated trailblazing female artists, @thegreatwomenartists have been fulfilling a similar mission in the virtual realm since 2015. Curated by London-based art expert Katy Hessel, this feed is an educational exploration of overlooked works by female creators, and is at once informative and eye-catching. Read our interview with Hessel to find out more.
@v93oo
Amidst the plethora of make-up tutorials urging you to blend and contour your cheekbones within an inch of their life, @v93oo has provided a welcome reminder this year that there’s more to makeup than just looking “pretty”. Filling our feeds with eye-popping rainbow colours and sequin-studded beauty looks, this glittery grid of luminous looks has expanded our conception of what makeup can be. Definitely a good source of inspiration for the perfect Christmas party look.
@scenic_simpsons
You don’t need to be an avid Simpsons’ fan to appreciate the sheer mesmeric beauty of @scenicsimpsons. Taking screenshots and zoomed-in stills out of context, this account highlights the dreamy, artistic details of the cartoon that you might have missed amid the mind-boggling action. Discover the details in our #FollowFriday article.
@__s____o
Whilst Instagram is packed with artists peddling their work to the masses, it’s also a popular playground for curators, who use their aesthetic eyes to perfect and prune aesthetically-pleasing feeds. One such account that peaked our interest this year was @_s____o. Featuring a mix of surreal artworks, pastel-hued landscapes and beguiling fashion imagery, punctuated by undulating architecture and luscious interiors, it’s provided the ideal escape to flee the grim reality of 2018’s nail-biting politics. Back in April, we spoke to Melbourne-based Cat Morrison, the art director behind the feed, to get an insight into her unique eye.
@tsunaina
Tibetan model @tsunaina has had a meteoric rise to fame since being discovered by Pat McGrath, who used her as a muse for her latest space-inspired makeup collection. Having been compared to a “intergalactic Avatar” and “an exotic cat” on Dazed Beauty, her unique look that breaks the generic beauty mould has garnered her a hefty following. Her dramatic feed is an enticing mix of seductive red-lipped selfies and arty shots of landscapes, paintings and interiors arranged in a specific pattern.
@crimesagainstshoemanity
What was it with fugly footwear in 2018? From Demna Gvasalia’s platform Crocs at Balenciaga, to comical curled-toes at Loewe, there was a long line of questionable shoes sent down the runway. And whilst we don’t think this trend is going a way anytime soon, if you want a comprehensive retrospective of 2018’s hideous heels, head over to @crimesagainstshoemanity, the Insta devoted to documenting your favourite worst nightmare footwear. Read our interview with the anonymous London-based curator, Rebel Royalle, here.
@fashionsecrets93
There’s a big difference between how we were actually dressing in the 2000s, and how we WISH we dressed. But, with the launch of @fashionsecrets93 in late 2017, us noughties kids were gifted a tool to relive our wildest noughties fashion fantasies. Created by 24-year-old LA-resident Keely Murphy, who we spoke to in February, the account showcases the finest fashion throwbacks and accessories that Amazon has to offer. So, whether we’re searching for the perfect sorry-not-sorry style statement, or just looking for a dose of noughties nostalgia, @fashionsecrets93 had us covered throughout 2018.
@sarahbahbah
Sophie Coppola meets French New Wave cinema in @sarahbahbah’s instantly recognisable images of internal conflicts of heart and mind. Overlaying dreamy film stills with pithy subtitles, we couldn’t relate more to the women on her account, who lust after chocolate and sex, complaing about feelings and fuckboys – who, let’s face it, we’ve all have our fair share of in 2018. That being said, there are often darker undertones to Babah’s images, with some of her subtitles beating with dark, existential truths. In June, we caught up with the Instagram sensation to find out more about her deliciously contradictory images that somehow manage to be funny, feminine, sexy and sad all at once.
@jstlbby
With over 1.6 M followers, LA native @jstlbby has been serving us our daily dose of DGAF attitude throughout the year. Her unique brand of tough love and radiant positivity, combined with fearless wigs, flamboyant shades and gravity-defying nails has attracted a celebrity audience includingNaomi Campbell, Grace Wales Bonner and Cardi B, and was just the ticket when times got tough in 2018. Pick up a copy of the new issue of SLEEK to read our full interview with Insta’s most outrageous motivator.