Beyonce casts a model with muscular dystrophy for online store
Beyonce just made a powerful statement that her merchandise, and empowering message, is for all people.
Meet Jillian Mercado, a model with muscular dystrophy who's one of the new faces of Bey's online store:
She models the store's newest line of merch, featuring sweatshirts, tees and hats embellished with our favorite Bey lyrics.
Mercado her excitement on her Instagram, writing, "So BEYond excited to finally announce that I'm on the official @beyonce website!!! A special shout out to Queen Bee herself and the amazing team behind it."
Mercado, who signed with IMG Models last year, was diagnosed with muscular dystrophy when she was young. She got her start as a blogger, building a devoted fanbase with her site Manufactured 1987.
"When I was younger, I was looking for that role model," she told Vogue in an interview last year. "I had people who I admired, but there was no one [with a disability] who I could look to ... I was shocked that I didn’t see anyone in the industry who was like me."