Helen Owen is what cynics might call “Instagram famous.” Yet the stunning bikini pics she posts daily aren’t just shameless eye candy—they’re a rallying cry for living large.
“About a year ago, my manager suggested I could earn a living doing this,” says the 23-year-old, British-born and Bay-area-raised UCLA grad. Soon she had brands she already loved, from fashion houses to dating apps, paying her big bucks to show them in her photos. Today, nearing a million followers, she’s been able to go international and support her love of travel with her sexy smile (and other admirable qualities). “I figured out the traveling thing on my own,” she says of her move to cash in on what the rest of us consider “vacation photos.” “I was in Greece and thought, ‘Why not reach out to some hotels and see if they want to collaborate?’ ”
It worked. Since then she’s been “flying around nonstop,” she says, “just riding the social media wave.” Now the biggest business decision she ever has to make is where to go next. “Maybe I’ll go to Australia or something,” she says. In fact, she’s been traveling so much it didn’t make sense to get an apartment, so she’s been bunking with a friend in L.A.
“I’ll probably start looking for a place soon, though,” she says.
