IMG model + fashion blogger Jillian Mercado to present NYF Torch Award to grand-winning team

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Jillian Mercado Photo by Michael Avedon.jpgIMG model and fashion blogger Jillian Mercado will be center stage on May 19th to award the Grand-Winning team of the New York Festivals Torch Awards. Mercado, a prominent representative of the new breed of models who are challenging beauty ideals in the world of fashion, will honor the winners of the third annual Torch Awards at this year’s New York Show gala ceremony taking place at Jazz at Lincoln Center’s Fredrick P. Rose Hall.

Mercado, was born and raised in New York, and was diagnosed with spastic muscular dystrophy as child. She is one of the few working professional disabled models. Just six years ago, when Mercado was in her senior year studying fashion marketing at the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York, disabled models were scarce. When she thought about becoming a professional model, Mercado decided to seek out a mentor and find someone who had a physical disability like her. Her search was unsuccessful.

Everything changed in 2014 when Mercado went to an open casting call for Diesel Jeans. The questionnaire she filled out at the casting call asked “Why should we choose you?” Mercado responded, “Because I want to change the world.” Her quest to become a model became a reality when she was selected by Diesel’s artistic director, Nicola Formichetti to be part of the ad campaign. The campaign for Diesel launched her career and landed her a modeling contract with IMG, the powerhouse that represents top supermodels like Gisele Bündchen, Kate Moss and Heidi Klum. Since then, her marketing campaign for Target debuted during Telemundo’s Billboard Latin Music Awards, just weeks after she was cast in the merchandise ads for Beyonce’s highly-anticipated “Formation” tour. Last year, Mercado modeled on a Manhattan rooftop for lingerie company, Thistle & Spire.

For 2016, New York Festivals Torch Awards partnered with The Institute for Human Centered Design (IHCD). IHCD is dedicated to enhancing the experiences of people of all ages and abilities through excellence in design.

New York Festivals created the Torch Awards as an expression of their ongoing commitment to the development and promotion of young creative talent. The competition offers a unique challenge for 18-27 year olds to promote the mission of an international nonprofit organization, while allowing them to develop critical industry skills to help them elevate their careers.

The 2016 New York Show events will be on May 19th and feature four creative panel sessions, a cocktail reception, the awards ceremony, and an after-party. New York Festivals will welcome award winners, jury members and guests from around the globe to this day long series of events honoring the World’s Best Advertising.

Click here to purchase tickets.

The four creative panel sessions will take place during the day at the NYIT Auditorium on Broadway, located at 1871 Broadway (btw 61st & 62nd St). Later that evening, guests from around the world will then join us for our Gala event at Jazz at Lincoln Center’s Frederick P. Rose Hall, Broadway at 60th Street, New York City, for a cocktail reception in the Ertegun Atrium, followed by the awards ceremony in Rose Theater.

A celebratory after-party will be held at Parkview Lounge, on the 4th floor of Time Warner Center, to toast all the winners of the World’s Best Advertising.

For more information on the Torch Awards please click here, or for The Institute for Human Centered Design (IHCD) click here.

For more information on the New York Show events and gala or to purchase tickets please visit the New York Festivals website.

Students and Teachers may register for complimentary tickets to the New York Show Creative Sessions: HERE.

(Photographer: Michael Avedon)