Jillian Mercado is the new face of the Diesel campaign. The unusual: The young woman is sitting in a wheelchair.
Nowadays, models no longer have to conform to the usual beauty ideal. On the contrary. People with stigma are more in demand than ever. Americas Next Top Model candidate Chantelle Brown-Young has been suffering from the skin disease vitiligo for years. She is the secret favorite of the current ANTM season. Plus Size Model Maxey Green makes the breakthrough and conquers Fashion Week.
Even the 26-year-old Jillian Mercado pursues this dream. She studied at the Fashion Institute of Technology, runs a fashion blog and works as a fashion editor. Jillian Mercado knows the fashion industry. Best conditions to succeed as a model - actually. Because the young woman is ill. Mercado has been suffering from muscular dystrophy since she was 12 years old.
The New Yorker is in a wheelchair. Muscular dystrophy leads to muscle weakness and muscle atrophy. The young woman still fights - for her dream and for more tolerance in the fashion scene. Jillian Mercado is the new face of the Diesel campaign and is in front of the camera for the summer catalog of the American brand Nordstorm.