Detroit is often described as a haven for artists. With its mesmerizing physical landscape, unique architecture, and fascinating people, there's an abundance of visual material to draw inspiration from.
It's no wonder, then, that Detroit has some rad Instagrammers out there as well. Artists have been using the platform to showcase their work or create completely original ones. And then there's just generally creative folks who have beautifully portrayed the city (sometimes unintentionally).
While this list is by no means comprehensive, here are some of our favorite Detroit Instagram accounts.
This Instagram account brings to mind honey dripping from flowers in a fancy hotel. Every image is luxe as hell.
Dierdre Skiles runs
Detroit Rose & Ritual, a candle company and skin care line out of a beautiful loft and studio in Eastern Market. In addition to a killer Instagram presence, Skiles's products are truly incredible. You can often find her at local craft fairs selling her Detroit Rose line of candles in scents like the heavenly Bergamot or Fig Tree. Or scope out her Detroit Ritual line of skin care products like the Rose & Coconut Milk soak which is a bath cream with legit roses inside.
A modernist take on daily life in Detroit, Matthew Piper's account is all about the beautiful details. From the historic (like a stained glass window) to the absurd (like a cardboard cutout of Jean-Luc Picard peaking out from behind a bookshelf), Piper's eye captures it all.
Piper is a local arts writer and photographer that has contributed to a number of publications (
including this one), Infinite Mile, and Essay'd.
This account sometimes covers the travels and performances of the self described "psycho-jazz" band Wolf Eyes, but it's slowly morphed into a full-on meme account. Based on their short, but potent profile statement, none of the content is original, but "THE CHUCKLE ONES ARE PUT UP."
Meme lords and trolls alike would be wise to smash that follow button.
If your goal on Instagram is to waste countless hours looking at how cool someone else's life is, then this account is for you.
Metals artist Tiff Massey gives you a peek into her travels and works. She takes you along on international artist residencies and exhibitions, shares beautiful portraits of models wearing her works, and throws in a selfie every once in awhile.
To be honest the photos may seem ordinary when they pop up in your feed; it's just basic food porn. The magic of the Senor Lopez instagram, however, is two-fold.
First, when you visit their profile page and see the countless images of all of their dishes, from an eerily similar angle next to one another, it's actually quite moving. The second part is that if you visit Senor Lopez—which we highly recommend, as they give you a free shredded pork taco upon arrival—and tag them on an Instagram post (#senorlopeztaqueria), they will knock off 10 percent from your bill.
We've often laid awake in bed wondering why they still have less than 200 followers.
Bailey Scieszka's Instagram account showcases completed works, works in progress, and other images we can only imagine are inspiration for the young artist.
While looking at photos from Scieszka's account, you may find yourself asking, "Did that alien thing really just stab a floating dolphin while giving birth to a massive snake?" And the answer is yes, always yes.
By the looks of her account we can confidently say she loves blondes, Faygo, and dolls, but hates the confederate flag. This account is definitely not for the faint of heart.
Local makeup artist Skyylar Taylor's instagram account is a combination mood-board and portfolio of her make-up looks. Taylor regularly works with local designers like
@alxvndra and
@_paidactor_ to produce equal parts surreal and divine looks on a range of subjects.
In addition to original works, vintage fashion magazine shots, and 90's R&B Goddesses, Taylor also throws in a selfie or two to keep us on our toes.
Paul Johnson (@_ffty)
If you've ever met Paul Johnson (aka Fifty), it was probably when he asked to pinch your cheek and take a photo of it. But in addition to the cheek pinching pics, which show up regularly on his Instagram, Fifty's account dazzles with its offbeat images of the city, his travels, and paintings.
The almost 1,400 photos featured on Instagram are just a small fraction of this artist's oeuvre, which you can find more of
here.
Local artist Nick Jaskey has been a fixture in Detroit's arts community for years. His Instagram account features a range of his works, from collages to paintings.
His most recent posts show a series of murals around Detroit, most of which consist of small oblong shapes in shades of red along walls, fences, and windows. These squiggly shapes act as interventions throughout the city that tend to sneak up on you.
In addition to his own works, Jaskey also opens up a beautiful window into his Detroit.
This account is basically a wholesale vintage shop run by Torya Schoeniger of Good Girls Go To Paris Crepes and Rodin fame. Notably, it's perhaps one of the first (if not
the first) Instagram accounts that sold items directly to followers.
It's simple: you see a pic of a vintage Coach handbag, or a Kilim pillow, be the first to write "sold" in the comments, and you win! Because Schoeniger deletes photos of items soon after they're sold, it makes the purchase of one of her items that much more exciting.
Cinematographer Geoff George showcases a well-balanced and beautiful collection of Detroit architecture and autos (which has its own hashtag,
#motowncars). George has a way of capturing such quintessentially Detroit photos that it's hard to tell if they're from the past, present, or future.
In addition to this account, George also has a series called Troubled Assets (
@troubledassets), which features a myriad of corner bank buildings throughout Detroit that have either been repurposed or remain unused.
Which Instagram accounts are we missing? Comment below or tweet us @modeld. Also, be sure to follow Model D's Instagram account (@modeldmedia).