dapperQ published our very first article in 2009, a full year before the 2010 launch of Instagram. Back then, and even for a few years after the initial launch of Instagram, the term “Instagram influencer,” was not even a thought in our minds, and we certainly did not anticipate Instagram would become such a powerful image (and now video) platform that would play a significant role in the democratization of beauty/fashion, creating communities of common values, and empowering individuals to become the creative directors of their own style.
This year, we decided to launch our first ever “InstaGrammys” as part of our ongoing effort to archive the contributions of queer style to art, activism, and social media. Of course, as a volunteer collective (many of us with full-time jobs outside of dapperQ), it is virtually impossible for us to be fully aware of ALL the queer style influencers across the entire Instagram platform. (So, feel free to leave suggestions of other influencers in the comments section below.) But, we did want to give a year’s end tip of our hats to the influencers that have inspired the dapperQ team and our readers. Note, we did not include other digital magazines (such as Qwear, which is an important platform to our community), but decided to focus on individual influencers out there changing the landscape of fashion through personal style, stylish travel, and life+style Instagrams that are beautifully and thoughtfully curated. Here are dapperQ’s 2017 queer style Instagrams of distinction.
1. INSTA INFLUENCERS OF THE YEAR
Danielle A. Cooper – @daniellacooper
Nicolette Mason – @nicolettemason
2. INSTA FASHION INNOVATOR OF THE YEAR
Alok Vaid-Menon – @alokvmenon
3. BEST INSTA PERSONAL STYLE
Danielle A. Cooper – @daniellacooper
Jazzmyne – @jazzmynejay
4. BEST LIFE+STYLE GRAMMERS
Benjamin Melzer – @egoshooter
Debbie-jean Lemonte – @thelocdbella
5. STYLISH INSTA TRAVELERS
Fit for a Femme – @dearjonesey
Kim Geronimo – @thestreetsensei
6. BEST IN INSTA SUITING
Sara Geffrard – @sarageffrard
Chris Domingo – @la.garconniere
7. BEST INSTA STYLE DUO
Corey Kempster – @corey_meets_world + Jari Jones – @amjarijones
8. BEST BOOMERANGS
Nicolette Mason – @nicolettemason
9. BEST INSTA STORIES
Kim Geronimo – @thestreetsensei
(Video below originally published on @thestreetsensei Insta Story)
Play another of Kim’s stories here
10. BEST IN INSTA FEMME!
Jacob Tobia – @jacobtobia
Chaka Bachmann – @thedefiantfemme
11. BEST IN PLUS SIZE
Amy Stretten – @chiefofstyle
Alysse Dalessandro – @readytostare
12. INSTA ON A BUDGET
Doreen Pierre – @dapperpenniless
13. NIGHTLIFE INFLUENCER INSTA STYLE
Charlotte “CB” Glasser – @cbglasser
14. INTERIOR DESIGN + FASHION
The Burton House (Palm Springs vacation rental run by Jessica Falvo and Consuelo Ruybal) – @burtonhousepalmsprings
15. INSPO INSTA THEME
Dasha Guyton – @windycitywardrobe
16. BEST BOW-TIE-OR-BUST INSTA
Abe Blackburn – @ablackburnwears
