Swimwear built some of the biggest personal brands on Instagram. The bikini models on Instagram are not just posing on beaches. They run swimwear labels, walk Sports Illustrated runways, coach millions on fitness, and push body confidence forward across every size and background.
This list is not ranked strictly by follower count. It is a working snapshot of twelve Instagram bikini models who matter right now, picked to cover the full spread of the niche: Australian swimwear founders, Brazilian bombshells, plus-size pioneers, fitness stars, and a few rising names worth catching early.
For a wider directory, once you finish here, our roundup of female Instagram models goes broader. These are the swimwear names to follow in 2026.
Top 12 Bikini Models to Follow on Instagram
Each model earns her spot for a different reason. Below is a short profile for each, covering her career, content style, and the business behind the feed.
1. Alexis Ren (@alexisren)
Alexis Ren is one of the most recognizable Instagram bikini models in the world, with around 17 million followers. She started modeling at 13 and went viral in her teens after beach and swimwear photos spread across Tumblr, then translated that early attention into a long-running career.
Her feed pairs sun-soaked swimwear with wellness content, travel, and a positive lifestyle message. Therefore, Alexis has been featured in Maxim and the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue, and was named SI Swimsuit Rookie of the Year in 2018.
She also built a brand beyond the camera, founding the wellness community We Are Warriors and moving into activewear. That mix of glamour and self-improvement keeps her at the front of the swimwear conversation.
2. Natasha Oakley (@tashoakley)
Natasha Oakley is the textbook example of an Australian bikini model on Instagram who turned a swimwear feed into a real company. Born in Sydney in 1990, she co-founded the blog A Bikini A Day in 2012, posting a new swimsuit photo every day with her business partner Devin Brugman.
That blog became a launchpad. In 2014 the pair founded Monday Swimwear, a direct-to-consumer label now known for flattering fits, no seasonal-trend gimmicks, and casting healthy rather than ultra-thin models. She runs it as CEO and co-founder, and has added the activewear line Monday Body.
Natasha Oakley’s Instagram with around 3 million followers, blends swimwear, travel, and behind-the-scenes founder content. She is proof that a bikini brand can scale globally without a fashion-school pedigree.
3. Devin Brugman (@devinbrugman)
Devin Brugman is the other half of the Monday Swimwear story and a major sexy bikini Instagram model in her own right with roughly 1.5 million followers. Born in 1990, she met Natasha Oakley in Maui in 2009 before the two relocated and built their swimwear empire together.
Her feed leans into bold, colorful swimwear, curve-conscious styling, and a confident body-positive message that helped define the brand. She is also a proud dog mom to her pet Walter, who has his own Instagram following.
As co-founder and a constant face of the label, she shows how two friends turned daily bikini posts into a globally stocked business. She remains one of the most influential swimwear creators around.
4. Brooks Nader (@brooksnader)
Brooks Nader is one of the defining swimsuit models on IG. The Louisiana native won the Sports Illustrated Swim Search open casting call in 2019, debuted in the magazine in 2020, landed the cover in 2023, and now carries SI Swimsuit “Legend” status.
Her content mixes high-end swimwear, red carpets, and a fun, unfiltered personality. She has expanded into television, starring in the Hulu reality series Love Thy Nader alongside her model sisters and joining the FOX Baywatch reboot.
She has also moved into business with a jewelry line and a denim collaboration. Brooks Nader has the perfect body to become a supermodel for bikini products. If you want to see how she ranks beside the broader field, our wider list of the hottest Instagram models puts her in context.
5. Lais Ribeiro (@laisribeiro)
Lais Ribeiro is a Brazilian bikini influencer on Instagram. Born in 1989, she trained as a nurse before modeling, then walked for Dolce & Gabbana, Givenchy, and Gucci, and became a Victoria’s Secret Angel in 2015.
She wore the two-million-dollar Victoria’s Secret Fantasy Bra in 2017 and has appeared in the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue, where her love of tiny bikinis is well documented. Her feed blends runway glamour, beachwear, motherhood, and travel.
Beyond bikini modeling, she founded an eco-friendly construction-materials venture in Brazil, a refreshingly unexpected business for a swimwear icon. She is one of the most decorated Brazilian bikini models on the platform.
6. Camille Kostek (@camillekostek)
Camille Kostek is of the most popular swimwear models working today. The Connecticut native won the inaugural SI Swim Search open casting call in 2018, landed the cover as a rookie in 2019, and earned brand “Legend” status in 2024.
A former New England Patriots cheerleader, she has built a career well beyond modeling, hosting TV shows and appearing in films like Free Guy. Her feed mixes swimwear, red carpets, and upbeat body-positivity messaging.
Camille designs jewelry for Dune Jewelry and has released swimwear collaborations and a size-inclusive line. After being told she was not tall or thin enough for traditional agencies, she turned a swim casting call into a lasting swimwear career.
7. Hunter McGrady (@huntermcgrady)
Hunter McGrady is the leading plus-size bikini model on Instagram and a genuine barrier-breaker. Born in Los Angeles in 1993, she started as a straight-size model at 15, then switched to plus-size after being pressured to shrink, and signed with Wilhelmina.
In 2017 she became the largest model to that point to appear in the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue, and she landed a cover for the 60th anniversary Legends issue in 2024. Her feed centers on swimwear, motherhood, and radical body acceptance.
She built a business around inclusivity too, launching the size-inclusive clothing line All Worthy and co-hosting the Model Citizen podcast with her sister. She is essential viewing for anyone who wants the bikini niche to reflect every body.
8. Bruna Lima (@xoobruna)
Bruna Lima is a Brazilian fitness and Instagram bikini model with around 4 million followers. She combines a sculpted, competition-level physique with the sun-soaked swimwear content the niche is built on.
Her Instagram is heavy on gym work, bikini shots, and fitness motivation, with a strong emphasis on discipline and training. She has worked with supplement and activewear brands as her audience has grown.
Bruna Lima represents the newer wave of Brazilian creators who blend hardcore fitness with swimwear modeling. For followers who want bodies built in the gym rather than just styled for the beach, she is a strong follow.
9. Candice Swanepoel (@angelcandices)
Candice Swanepoel is one of the most iconic Instagram bikini models in fashion history. The South African supermodel became a Victoria’s Secret Angel in 2010 and has shaped beachwear trends for well over a decade, with a following in the tens of millions.
Her IG feed blends editorial bikinies, high fashion, motherhood, and a relaxed beach aesthetic. She has worked with houses like Dior, Dolce & Gabbana, and Versace across a long career.
She also founded her own bikini label, Tropic of C, built around sustainability and body confidence. That combination of runway legacy and ownership makes her one of the most respected bikini models anywhere.
10. Sahara Ray (@sahara_ray)
Sahara Ray is an Australian bikini model on Instagram and swimwear designer who turned viral attention into a brand. The daughter of pro surfer Tony Ray, she grew up around beach culture and built a following on her laid-back, sun-soaked aesthetic.
Sahara Ray’s Instagram feed is full of swimwear, travel, and beach lifestyle content. She signed with ONE Management and parlayed her audience into her own swimwear label, Sahara Ray Swim.
She is a good example of the Australian bikini model template: beach-raised, design-minded, and brand-savvy. Her feed stays true to the relaxed coastal vibe her audience follows her for.
11. Antje Utgaard (@awesomeantjay)
Antje Utgaard is a Scandinavian-American bikini and glamour model with an Instagram following around 2 million. Raised in small-town Wisconsin and of Swedish and Norwegian descent, she studied fashion merchandising before turning her Instagram into a modeling career.
Her content centers on swimwear, bikini shoots, and a classic-glamour aesthetic that has drawn comparisons to old-school pin-up. She has leaned into sustainable and ethical swimwear partnerships as her audience has grown.
This sext Instagram bikini creator has also branched into acting and built her own merchandise and content business off her platform. Her icy-blonde look fits right in with our roundup of blonde Instagram models.
12. Charly Jordan (@charlyjordan)
Charly Jordan is one of the younger Instagram bikini models on this list, a multi-hyphenate with around 4 million followers. She built her audience across Instagram and TikTok with swimwear content, DJ sets, and an adventurous travel lifestyle.
Her IG mixes bikini and beach shots with music, wellness, and exotic destinations. She tours as a DJ and leans into outdoorsy, carefree content that sets her apart from studio-only creators.
Jordan is a strong fit for anyone who likes their bikini paired with travel and a high-energy personality. As a younger creator, she also shows where the next wave of bikini influencers is heading. If you enjoy creator-led video, our list of the hottest YouTubers is worth a look too.
What Sets the Best Instagram Bikini Models Apart in 2026
The bikini niche stopped being only about a good beach photo. The creators who lead it now run businesses, advocate for causes, or bring real athletic credentials. Natasha Oakley and Devin Brugman own a global swimwear label. Hunter McGrady reshaped what a swimsuit model looks like. Brooks Nader turned an SI win into a television career.
Range matters here too. This list spans Australian founders, Brazilian supermodels, plus-size leaders, fitness competitors, and rising young creators. The bikini is the common thread, but the bodies, backgrounds, and business models are deliberately varied.
How These Bikini Models Built Their Brands on Instagram
Most of these women followed a similar path. They posted consistently, built a recognizable beach aesthetic, then converted attention into ownership through swimwear lines, activewear, or product collaborations.
The model who only poses for other people’s brands is increasingly rare at the top. She has been replaced by founders like Oakley and Brugman with Monday Swimwear, Candice Swanepoel with Tropic of C, Hunter McGrady with All Worthy, and Sahara Ray with Sahara Ray Swim.
The takeaway for brands and aspiring creators is consistent. Reach is the starting point, not the goal. The creators who last treat their audience as a community and their feed as the entrance to a larger business.
Conclusion
The hottest bikini models on Instagram in 2026 are a varied, ambitious group. They are swimwear founders and supermodels, fitness competitors and body-positivity advocates, and they prove the niche now rewards substance as much as a striking beach photo.
What connects them is a mix of confidence, consistency, and the business sense to turn a swimwear feed into something lasting. These twelve names are the ones shaping bikini and swimwear culture on the platform this year.
Frequently Asked Questions
The standout Australian bikini models here are Natasha Oakley and Devin Brugman, co-founders of Monday Swimwear, along with swimwear designer Sahara Ray. All three built audiences on a beach-driven aesthetic and turned it into their own swimwear labels.
Yes. Hunter McGrady is the leading plus-size bikini model on this list, known for breaking barriers at Sports Illustrated Swimsuit and founding the size-inclusive line All Worthy. The niche has grown far more size-inclusive, and she is one of its most influential voices.
For Brazilian bikini models, Lais Ribeiro brings Victoria’s Secret Angel pedigree and a love of swimwear, while Bruna Lima offers a fitness-focused take with a competition-level physique. Both bring a strong Brazilian flavor to the swimwear space.
Many do. Natasha Oakley and Devin Brugman founded Monday Swimwear, Candice Swanepoel created Tropic of C, Sahara Ray launched Sahara Ray Swim, and Hunter McGrady built the inclusive line All Worthy. Owning a brand has become one of the clearest markers of a top bikini model.
Brands usually partner with bikini models through sponsored posts, long-term ambassadorships, swimwear collaborations, or affiliate deals. A smart approach pairs a few high-reach names for visibility with a larger group of mid-tier creators who deliver stronger engagement per post. Influencer platforms make it easier to compare engagement rates and confirm an audience matches your target market.
