Before I moved to New York, I used to follow a lot of people that already lived there to give me motivation and inspiration to hopefully move there myself one day. Their Instagram posts and stories were forever making me jealous but also giving me that drive and determination to somehow make it to where they were.
The influencers in New York that I mostly followed were Irish. That being because I could relate to them and what I really wanted to know was how on earth they got visas. But, I think this is a really good way to motivate yourself if you have someone you can emulate to.
I still follow these girls today and it’s crazy that I now recognize the streets that they take photos on, the bars they go to and the restaurants they visit. All of their recommendations are now ‘I’ll go there this weekend’ instead of once being, ‘Oh, maybe some day.’
Anyhow, soppy story over, here are my favourite Irish influencers living it up in the Big Apple who you should also be following!
1. Erica Fox / @retroflame
Erica has one of the most classy, sophisticated and glamorous feeds that I follow. I mean, I can’t often relate to her constant stream of designer clothes but I do enjoy her love of neutral fashion and get a lot of inspiration from her.
Mostly, I enjoy her stories of her and her sister’s day-to-day lives. From morning to night, what they get up to, where they go and even what they eat (honestly).
Erika hails from Co. Kerry in Ireland and has the most gorgeous home with insane views. She has great taste in interiors which I’m guessing she gets a lot from her mother as her home in Ireland is always immaculate.
2. Louise Cooney / @louisecooney_
Only recently moved to New York, Louise Cooney is an Irish influencer from Limerick, Ireland. With an apartment to die for in Midtown and rooftop views of the Empire State Building, you could say Louise is living her very best life.
Coming back after Christmas, she even flew her dog Cooper out to join her living in New York. It’s made for a lot of funny Instagram stories of teaching Cooper how to go to the toilet out on the front street with all the noises of the day going on.
3. Tara Marzuki / @tarmarz
Tara is an Irish influencer that lives in the most amazing loft in Brooklyn. I don’t even want to know how much she has paid for all of that space, but her apartment is goals.
I’ve only recently started following Tara but love her laid back fashion and interior design posts. Her street style is the best and there’s something about her that comes across a lot more ‘real’ than other bloggers.
If anything, I would follow her for some serious interior/apartment envy – definitely how I aspire to be living in a few years’ time. One can only dream.
4. Kaelin Fox / @kaelin_fox
Kaelin is the sister of Erika Fox (@retroflame) and is quickly becoming one of my favourite content creators on Instagram. The content Kaelin creates is like a breath of fresh air on Instagram – so different from what we usually see.
Her posts are creative, inspired and always makes me want to go out and re-create her crazy poses at different New York locations. I have enjoyed watching Kaelin’s growth over the past while with her Instagram and starting to create adverts and paid-for content.
I’m also excited that Kaelin has got back into YouTube and a part of me is thinking that she may soon take over her sister’s large following and be an influencer in her own right. Perhaps it may also pave the way for a sister brand with the both of them working together.
5. Michaela O’Shaughnessy / @lifeofaladybear
Back a few years ago when I started dreaming about moving to New York, I read a lot of blog posts from Michaela that had me pining to roam the West Village on Saturday mornings, go for brunch in Soho on Sundays and shop on 5th Avenue on the regular.
She’s definitely one of the original New York-Irish bloggers for me, and I still follow a lot of her content today to give me inspiration and ideas of what to do around New York.
Follow Michaela for a lot of NYC in monochrome colours, festive content and tips on what to do in and around New York.
A recent graduate of Business with Public Relations from LJMU, Orlagh works in the influencer marketing industry and has just returned to the UK after spending one year working in New York City.
