During her studies at New York's Fashion Institute of Technology, she completed internships at Veranda and Allure magazine and was subsequently discovered by denim brand Diesel, where she did her first campaign. Following the success of this shoot, she was signed to IMG and later to CAA Fashion.
Fronting campaigns for the likes of Nordstrom, Target, and Olay, Mercado has become a popular cultural icon in fashion and an inspiration to many thanks to her advocacy and inspiring message. She has been featured in the likes of Teen Vogue, Cosmopolitan, Glamour, InStyle, Refinery29, Forbes, and other industry-leading publications. In a recent interview with Bustle, she highlighted the intersection of gender and disability and advocated for greater representation in the industry.
Some of her most notable projects include fronting a campaign for Beyoncé's new single and World Formation tour and working with UN Secretary-General António Guterres to reduce inequality as one of the UN's 17 Sustainable Development Goals. Mercado is also the co-founder of Black Disabled Creatives, a platform that highlights and promotes individuals with creative talent from marginalized communities.
She most recently appeared in the popular Showtime series The L Word: Generation Q, playing the role of Maribel Suarez alongside Jennifer Beals.
