These gender-nonconforming models are creating a stir on Instagram

There is a long history of gender-nonconformity within the fashion industry, dating back to the roots of the runway and far beyond. How much attention models receive when they don’t fit neatly into that binary, however, has often changed with the trends. Androgynous, agender, genderqueer, trans* and cross-dressing models have been here since fashion began, but non-binary and genderqueer people have been in the spotlight recently with celebrities like Miley Cyrus and Ruby Rose speaking out, and social media makes following the genius of your favourite fashion icons a gorgeous, gentle breeze. Here are nine beautiful people of Instagram who are pushing gender boundaries, to inspire your next ensemble - butch, femme, or otherwise.

Rain Dove: The 25-year-old identifies as genderqueer, but often uses feminine pronouns. Modeling both menswear and womenswear, she is especially excited about fashion lines that blur that binary. She’s an actor and a stand-up comedian, and yes, that is her real name. (Photo: Instagram/raindovemodel)

Elliott Sailors: Although she identifies as a woman, Elliott is often referred to as a “male model” since her specialty is menswear and androgynous outfits. Her leap into masculine fashion at the age of 31 followed Casey Legler who, at age 35, became the first woman signed to a contract exclusive to male-modeling. (Photo: Instagram/elliottsailors)

Merike Palmiste: The Estonian-born 28-year-old has been noticed for her edgy, androgynous style, but made even more waves earlier this year when it was confirmed she is dating Canadian singer-songwriter Margeaux and has been for more than a year. (Photo: Instagram/Merike891)

David Chiang: Born in Taiwan and raised in Burnaby, B.C., this 23-year-old androgynous male model has been making headlines since he got his break in 2009. It took him only months to make it all the way from Vancouver to Milan and earlier this year he graced the cover of Chinese digital fashion magazine, Elsewhere. (Photo: Instagram/davidwonderland)

Mack Dihle: The “haute butch” from Detroit, now living in Chicago, describes herself as a “high fashion androgynous model,” a “dapper jazz trumpeter,” a “fire eater” and a “free agent” who spends her nights patrolling the streets as a beat cop. Between her full-time job and her gigs as a jazz musician, she makes time for modeling. (Photo: Instagram/mackdihle)

Andreja Pejic: Self-described as “living between genders,” 24-year-old Australian Andreja Pejic has made headlines for years as a gender-bending androgynous fashion model. She transitioned publicly in 2014 and was the first transgender model to appear in the pages of Vogue. (Photo: Instagram/andrejapejic)

River Luck: Genderqueer, gender neutral and gender variant are all words River uses to describe their identity. Bostonian, actor and musician, their Instagram is a happy collection of puppies, guitars, and stylish black-and-white shots. (Photo: Instagram/river.luck)

Ryley Pogensky: Part of Barney’s 2014 trans fashion campaign, Brothers, Sisters, Sons & Daughters, Ryley is hoping to inspire young trans and genderqueer people like himself. (If you follow him, prepare yourself for some amazing street eats and random funny memes too.) (Photo: Instagram/facemeetsfood)

Stas Fedyanin: This Russian princess, as her Instagram account says, is a transgender top-model, blogger, makeup artist, and self-described “androgyne” possessing traits dual genders. Her decidedly feminine style is controversial considering the policies of many social networking sites that ban any images of topless women. (Photo: Instagram/stas_fedyanin)