AUSTRALIAN “Insta Model” Elyse Knowles didn’t need to chase the sun on a tropical holiday as the country soars through a week of heat — but that’s exactly what she’s done.

No longer are models just pretty faces, but celebrities in their own right, influencing thousands of people on Instagram alone. “I feel it’s all about the elusive ‘cool girl’ appeal.

"Models are going 'Insta-pendent' because although the focus is on content, it's even more on the ability to capture the consumer's attention. They have become curators with the ability to get that ...