The term ‘Instagram model’ has gone from fashion industry joke to lucrative career path, with social media influencers raking in the big bucks from brands keen to reach their followers.
But what exactly does it take to become Insta-famous? The account with all the answers is @lilmiquela. Known simply as ‘Miquela’, the model has amassed a 70,000-strong fan base in just four months.
Her feed is an endless stream of selfies, professional shots posing in the hottest clothing brands and party pics at popular LA nightclubs, all with appropriate meme-worthy captions.
Except, she’s probably not even real.
A large part of Miquela’s online allure is attempting to decipher what exactly ‘she’ is. An elaborate art project? A graphic designer’s societal critique? An overly drawn-out advert for The Sims?
No one can seem to agree, with some Instagram users even arguing in the comments that she does actually exist: “It’s just the way she edits her photos”.
The person behind ‘Lil Miquela’, and if there’s even a Miquela at all, is yet to be revealed. But Insta-cyborg or not, prepare to be perplexed by her pictures.