Jillian Mercado Beauty Q&A

Q. Why do you love or are interested in fashion/beauty for people with disabilities?

I have always been interested in fashion growing up, my parents were very involved in the industry. My mother was a seamstress and my dad worked at a shoe store so I knew a lot about labels and materials and a very young age. I don't think that there is a different interest in people who are in any sort of disability versus people who aren't. I think the interest is just for everyone.

Q. What do you think is the importance of disability inclusion in the fashion/beauty industry?

I think that diversity in general is very important in the fashion industry because we are all different and if fashion labels want to have people buy their clothing or item, they should be available for everyone, not one certain person.

Q. What effect does the fashion/beauty industry have on body image for people with disabilities?

It has a huge effect! Because as I said before, the people that are looking at the magazines or the campaigns and such are people who are different shapes and sizes. If you have someone who has a body that is not reflected [in media], that's going to cause some sort of body image problems, which is why I think it's very important that we start putting different kinds of people in magazines and in the media in general.

Q. Why do you think accessibility, adaptive equipment or other similar accommodations are not seen as fashionable?

Yes, for some odd reason whoever started this thought that someone who has adaptive equipment is considered something negative or looked down upon. For example, if there is someone in a wheelchair in a TV show, they are most likely looked upon as a pity case. Hopefully I am here to change that and destroy those stereotypes.

Q. Adaptations in commercial clothing are often needed for PWD. What is your favorite clothing hack or style tip?

Well when I go shopping, I literally just get whatever I want because I know my body well and no offense, I think this goes for everyone in the world–never get something that you cannot wear. My favorite trick is wearing leggings–they're very flexible and stretchy so anybody can wear them and look amazing. They're also very comfortable!

Q. What advice would you give about developing a personal style despite clothing barriers?

I think, first of all, personal style comes within. I don't believe in following trends or following someone else. I believe in whatever you feel most comfortable wearing and what you love seeing yourself in. So developing personal style is more emotional for me. There will always be barriers and they will always be people wanting to put you down, but if you're confident enough in yourself, nothing of what people say will ever bring you down. And this is something that I religiously say to myself because, like I said, there will be people out there who are going to love to put you down because they're insecure about their own lives.  Style comes within.

Q. What things make you feel beautiful or fashionable?

Honestly looking at myself and feeling beautiful. It's not rocket science–I feel like as soon as you start accepting who you are, you will feel beautiful. We're all different shapes and sizes, which makes this world amazing!

Q. What can we do to further encourage designers/fashion houses to market to PWD immediately following this chat?

I think, like anything in this world, if you want change you have to be the change. You have to start taking a stand of what you believe in and having your voice be heard. In this case, I would email, write, video myself–I do everything I possibly can to make those people hear me. If you don't take a stand, nobody well. So why not start now?

See more of Jillian by visiting her website.

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