Rosie Mercado

Rosie Mercado
Born (1980-03-28) March 28, 1980
Los Angeles, California, United States
Nationality American
Alma mater University of Nevada, Las Vegas
Tony Robbins Mastery University
Occupation Plus-size model, celebrity makeup artist, fashion designer, actress, radio and television personality, actress
Years active 2009–present
Children 3
Website www.rosiemercado.com

Modeling information

Height 5 ft 9 in (1.75 m)
Hair color Brown
Eye color Brown
Manager Mavrick Artists, True Models NYC, Hughes Models UK

Rosie Mercado (born March 28, 1980) is an American plus-size model, celebrity makeup artist, fashion designer and television personality of Mexican descent. She is best known for starring in reality television show Curvy Girls on NuvoTV and featuring on National Geographic Channel's Taboo. She has been described as a role model for plus-size women globally.[1]

Early life

Mercado was born in Los Angeles, California and grew up in Riverside, California.[2] but she spent most of her life in Las Vegas, Nevada[3] when her parents moved their business there.[4]

Mercado is of Latino descent;[3] her parents are from Mexico in Guadalajara and Zacatecas.[5] Her parents have a business in Las Vegas and she comes from an entrepreneurial background.[5] Mercado credits her father as "a visionary in all the businesses he has created".[6] Mercado's parents have always has been supportive of her in life and her career.[5][6]

Mercado attended Bishop Gorman High School and left in 1999. She was one of five Latinos who attended the private school.[7] In high school, she was a 'tomboy'[8] and felt that she did not fit in because of her size (which has driven her to promote plus-size diversity in the entertainment industry).[6] She was called "a big girl with a pretty face"[8] or "the girl with the pretty face and the big ass",[2] and was bullied because of her weight.[8] Mercado studied Business Management at University of Nevada, Las Vegas.

Since she was young, Mercado had the desire to make it in the fashion industry, but she had insecurities primarily fueled by her weight issues.[3] She admired Jennifer Lopez and Queen Latifah.[6]

Modeling career

Mercado broke into the fashion industry within four years.[3] She started off in modeling as a photographer; she was trying to build her business but didn't have the money to hire professional models. A celebrity photographer told her that she had a beautiful face and that she should be modeling.[5] She had taken pictures of herself but was often rejected because of her size.[4] Many times fashion industry people liked her face in her portfolio but balked after seeing her in person due to her size, and told her that if she lost weight she would have more work.[2] After her divorce,[9] in 2009, she entered The Miss Plus America Pageant,[6] and while she did not win the top prize,[5] she won the runway competition[6] and was discovered.[5] She was then crowned Miss Nevada Plus America.[6] She won awards including People Choice, CoverGirl and Runway Model. She also booked herself for her first spread: The Knot Weddings and Goddess Magazine.[3] Within a year of this she was on the Full-Figured Fashion Week[10] and Mitzy Fashion Show. She modeled for Eccoco Clothing and Igigi by Yuliya Raquel.[3]

Mercado has now won Miss Plus America Cover Girl, Miss Plus America Runway Model and Miss Nevada Plus America.[9] Her modeling profile also includes Miss Plus America Runway Model, Miss Plus America People's Choice, the face of Full Figure Fashion Week 2010, Curvy Qt, Oscar Picazo Book, Curvy Girl Clothing, Igigi,[6] Pin Up Girl Clothing.com, Univision Despierta America and Women of the year in Las Vegas 2014 for ACFC.

In February 2014, she was named one of Las Vegas' Extraordinary Women.[11]

Media career

When she was 16, Mercado was a radio personality in Las Vegas as a morning host. She went on to work for Telemundo and Univision doing red carpet interviews with celebrities.[4][12] She did voiceover work for Telemundo and commercials, and was a radio show host for frecuencia720.com.[3]

In 2011, Mercado featured on National Geographic Channel's Taboo.[6] She has appeared on television shows, worked as a correspondent with Gossip Meets Couture and interviewed celebrities including Jenny McCarthy, Carmen Electra and Kourtney Kardashian. In 2013, she appeared on Univision's Las Vegas. In 2012 and 2013, she starred in season one and two of NuvoTV's reality television show Curvy Girls which tries to capture the daily life of four plus-size models as they get into fashion.[3][13] In June 2013, she was a special guest on The Ricki Lake Show, speaking about plus-size swim fashions.[14]

Since 2011, Mercado has been a regular of Cosmoplatina.[3] She has worked as a beauty editor for Mia Beauty and The Best of Brides.[3] She was the only plus-size model to have worked with Oscar Picazo for his book and campaign.[3] In June 2013, she was the first ever size 22 model on the front of PLUS Model Magazine.[15] She has been featured in magazines including Miss Mexico International, PLUS Model Magazine, SKORCH, Manik, New Beauty and Daily Venus magazine.[6] She contributes for Daily Venus Diva, and became celebrity editor-at-large of Skorch Magazine in April 2010.[12]

In addition to modeling she has done fitness campaign work, television, commercials, hosted red carpets, written personal blogs, filmed videos and hosted web series. She has now gone into acting.[8]

Makeup and fashion design

With her parents' support,[8] Mercado turned her makeup skills into a career.[2] She is a celebrity makeup artist who has worked in pageants such as Miss Latina Beauty and Miss Essence Beauty.[3] She models, styles, works as a makeup artist, travels and hosts red-carpet events.[2]

She is also a fashion designer[3] and created Bellisima,[16] a cosmetic collection built upon art, fashion, and classical Hollywood glamor with a mission to "help every woman celebrate herself through self-confidence, knowledge, and unique beauty".[6] She also works with designers such as Yuliya Raquel, Larissa Navarro and Jill Alexander.[6]

In June 2013, a fashion clothing line with Shop Bellisima and SWAK was launched, the collection was called Fuerza (Strength), which consists of clothes in sizes 14-36 that Mercado designed.[13][17]

Weight

After letting her weight increase to well over 400 pounds,[18] Mercado managed to start losing weight to deal with mobility issues and the embarrassing situations she was beginning to encounter at that size.[13][18] She was already down to 350 pounds, dress size 32, and measurements of 54"-44"-65", when she was chosen to be the face of Full Figured Fashion Week in 2010.[2]

At 5 feet 9 inches tall, she now currently weighs 198 pounds and plans to lose more. She continues to inspire with her dramatic weight loss and change.[2] Mercado has been from a size 12 to 32/34,[12] saying that her ideal size was 12 but likely not much smaller; as she has loved certain aspects of being plus size and wants to continue in the plus size industry, which she is passionate about. She wants to leave a legacy of love, confidence, and empowerment, breaking stereotypes of beauty.[12] However, on a personal level, she believes women over 200 pounds should lose weight, as they are "likely unhealthy."[18]

Personal life

Mercado lives in Las Vegas and Los Angeles. She is a mother of three children,[5] a daughter (born 2000) and two sons (born 2006 and 2008).[4] In 2009, she got divorced and her children's father is no longer in their life.[8] Mercado speaks fluent English and Spanish,[13] she is a Christian[4] and describes herself as "a woman of faith".[8]

In 2013, Mercado graduated from Tony Robbins Mastery University.[6] She promotes body diversity[9] and positivity[19] she is also a motivational speaker, especially about women abuse, and is now one of the pioneers for the Full Body Photo Project, created by Jessica Kane of Skorch which encourages women to get comfortable of their own skin.[3]

See also

References

  1. ↑ Penn, Stephanie (August 1, 2011). "The Talented Ms. Rosie Mercado". Daily Venus Diva. Retrieved August 1, 2014.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Alimurung, Gendy (March 18, 2012). "Rosie Mercado: That Face". Los Angeles: LA Weekly. Retrieved August 1, 2014.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 Matthews, Philippe. "Rosie Mercado Is Curvalicious!". The Philippe Matthews Show. Retrieved August 1, 2014.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 Matthews, Philippe (October 31, 2012). "Rosie Mercado Is Curvalicious!". The PM Show. BlogTalkRadio. Retrieved August 1, 2014.
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Jara, Jose (March 7, 2013). "LatinoScoop.com chats with Curvy Girls – Rosie Mercado!". LatinScoop.com. Retrieved August 1, 2014.
  6. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 Hall, Debbie (February 22, 2013). "Fearless Females: Rosie Mercado". Las Vegas: Las Vegas Woman Magazine. Retrieved August 1, 2014.
  7. ↑ Cruz, Marcy (July 18, 2013). "Size Discrimination Exposed in Hakkasan Nightclub in Vegas: No "Whales or Hippos" Allowed". PLUS Model Magazine. Retrieved June 22, 2015.
  8. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Charles, Jr., Larry (July 15, 2013). "Everything's Coming Up Rosie – A one on one interview with rising star Rosie Mercado". Resist Magazine. Retrieved August 1, 2014.
  9. 1 2 3 Moreno, Leah; Shapiro, Rose (September 13, 2012). "Women To Know: Rosie Mercado, Susana Martinez & More". feminspire. Retrieved August 1, 2014.
  10. ↑ Givhan, Robin (July 21, 2010). "Fashionistas: More than size 6, please". Washington: The Washington Post. Retrieved August 1, 2014.
  11. ↑ "8 Gorgeous Plus-Sized Models The Fashion Industry Is Ignoring". Cosmopolitan. February 5, 2014. Retrieved August 1, 2015.
  12. 1 2 3 4 Alimurung, Gendy (August 1, 2011). "The Talented Ms. Rosie Mercado". Daily Venus Diva. Retrieved August 1, 2014.
  13. 1 2 3 4 Rudd, Tia D. (June 2013). "Finding My Fuerza". Plus Model Magazine. Retrieved August 1, 2014.
  14. ↑ "Rosie Mercado Talks Swim on The Ricki Lake Show". PLUS Model Magazine. May 22, 2013. Retrieved August 1, 2014.
  15. ↑ "Rosie Mercado, Curvy Beauty, Size 22 and Star of Curvy Girls Graces Cover of PLUS Model Magazine". PLUS Model Magazine. June 4, 2013. Retrieved August 1, 2014.
  16. ↑ Shay, Maurisha (June 2010). "Model Spotlight: Rosie Mercado - Society of Curves™". Society of Curves™. Retrieved August 1, 2014.
  17. ↑ "Rosie For Real". Swak Style Blog. Retrieved August 1, 2014.
  18. 1 2 3 http://www.people.com/article/rosie-mercado-lost-210-lbs-after-being-told-wouldnt-fit-in-plane-seat"
  19. ↑ "Rosie Mercado To Host The Curvy Competition at the Curvy Revolution in Sin City". Daily Venus Diva. February 16, 2011. Retrieved August 1, 2014.

External links

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