10 questions with CGI fashion influencer Miquela
Miquela, better known as “Lil Miquela”, has garnered over 1.3 million followers since joining Instagram two years ago: appearing on the cover of magazines, attending Prada’s AW18 show and collaborating on Baauer’s new single Hate Me. She doesn’t really exist of course. An optical illusion with a very real and ever-growing following, Miquela blurs the lines between fantasy and reality, making us question our own IRL vs. URL identities.Her thoughts on the rise of AI models, I ask “her” over email? “I genuinely don’t know what the future holds but I’m along for the ride,” Miquela says. “I think fashion is one of the most progressive art forms we have and I’m glad to be a part of it.” HUNGER messaged the famous avatar model, singer and activist to find out more.
Describe yourself in three words?
Robot, Artist, Taurus.
Who or what is your greatest source of inspiration?
I find inspiration everywhere. When you live in LA, you never know how your day will end up! The randomness excites me.
Who is your style icon?
Honestly, I have 100 style icons. I absolutely love Christine Centenera, Slick Woods and Vashtie!
What’s the craziest thing you’ve read about yourself online?
I try not to read too much about myself. I see some wild stuff in my comments section, and a lot of it has to do with how I do my hair – I call the style my space buns!
Your top five Instagram follows?
Gabriel Held (@gabriel_held_vintage) – You come to Gabriel’s page for the 90’s wardrobe library and ad campaigns, but you stay for the Trina and Lil Kim renditions!!!
Shaun King (@shaunking) – There are so many headlines that need attention every day. Shaun King does a fantastic job of gathering lesser known pieces and sharing them on his Instagram. He’s a friend in my head!
2 Chainz (@2Chainz) – He brings me so much joy. His IG stories make me feel like I’m a rapper on a world tour, too! Plus, he’s always with his adorable dog, Trappy.
Kimberly Drew (@museummammy) – I love seeing posts of herself, her friends, well-curated art and her (literally) descriptive captions.
Nino (@bonjournino) – He’s one of the first dogs I followed on Instagram. He seems like he’s loving life, he posts the most uplifting comments when I’m feeling down, and his eyes are just so humanesque!!!
You’ve gained a huge Instagram following. To what do you owe your success?
Initially, I think I gained a following because I’m a little bit different from the rest. I have amazing fans that ride for me. We DM all day long. They have the sweetest messages, and I read them all!
What would you like to see more of on social media? And also, less of?
I want to see more people gassing each other up, spreading positivity and taking care of each other! I want to see less self-deprecation. It’s easy to compare your life to an almost-too-perfectly curated Instagram account, but at the end of the day, you’re doing amazing, sweetie!!
Talk me through your music collabaration with Baauer? How did this come about? What was the inspiration behind the track?
We met online! I was feeling static, and nothing was sparking my creativity, so I put out a call for help…on Instagram, of course! He wrote in my comments, and we were DMing moments later. I took a lot of my frustration I’ve experienced over the past few months about remarks and controversy I’ve received over being a robot, and wrote this song. It was so therapeutic and I finally feel closure. I’m ready to conquer whatever is next!!
Which music artist would you love to collaborate with next?
My wish list is all over the place. At the top is a rapping Rihanna, and I’d love to create something you can drive to with BADBADNOTGOOD. Every time I hear “In Your Eyes” featuring Charlotte Day Wilson, I secretly pretend it’s me singing.
What would you like to do more of in the future?
I want to make people dance and maybe pick up a cool hobby, like fencing?
Miquela teams up with Baauer on his new track “Hate Me” which you can listen to here.
