Jillian Mercado And Syanne Bloom On Fashion As An Industry And Art Form
Always Looking Up
03/10/26
•93m
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In this week’s episode I welcomed back Syanne Bloom and Jillian Mercado. Syanne is an Afro-Indigenous disabled activist and political commentator who examines the intersection of politics, media, and representation. Her work exposes how industries like fashion often reflect the same systemic inequities seen in government and society. Jillian is an actress, model, and activist who has become a prominent figure in the fashion world, challenging beauty ideals, and re-defining traditional norms in the fashion industry. We discuss fashion as an art form and as an industry, how disabled people are still being treated within and much, much more.
This episode was edited and produced by Ben Curwin.
All proceeds from purchasing this episode will be split between City Harvest and Food Bank For NYC.
Join Always Looking Up on Substack: https://jilliancurwin645746.substack.com
Join The Patreon: https://patreon.com/AlwaysLookingUp
Follow Syanne: Instagram: @syannebloom TikTok: @syannebloom
Follow Jillian: Instagram: @jillianmercado TikTok: @thejillianmercado
Follow Me: Instagram: @jill_ilana , @alwayslookingup.podcast TikTok: @jillian_ilana Website: https://www.jillianilana.com Email: alwayslookingup227@gmail.com
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Previous Episode
Plant Kween On The Practices Of Self-Care
March 3
•60m
In this week’s episode I sat down with Christopher Griffin better known as Plant Kween. Christopher is a Brooklyn based black, queer, non-binary lifestyle creator with a focus on all things inspirational, fashion, design, and nature. Their work helps people reconnect with nature, live more sustainably, and inspires curiosity about the world around them. We discuss the never ending conversations around disability, the connection between plants and self care, how clothes allow us to be a character in our own stories and much, much more.
This episode was edited and produced by Ben Curwin.
All proceeds from purchasing this episode will be split between City Harvest and Food Bank For NYC.
Join Always Looking Up on Substack: https://jilliancurwin645746.substack.com
Join The Patreon: https://patreon.com/AlwaysLookingUp
Follow Plant Kween: Instagram: @plantkween TikTok: @plantkween Website: https://www.plantkween.com
Follow Me: Instagram: @jill_ilana , @alwayslookingup.podcast TikTok: @jillian_ilana Website: https://www.jillianilana.com Email: alwayslookingup227@gmail.com
Read With Me:
Support Minneapolis:
Stand With Minnesota: https://www.standwithminnesota.com
MN NOICE: https://mnnoice.com
Community Aid Network MN: https://www.canmn.org
Support Those Impacted By The Cutting Of SNAP Benefits:
Feeding America: https://www.feedingamerica.org
World Central Kitchen: https://wck.org
No Kid Hungry: https://www.nokidhungry.org
List Of NYC Food Pantries: https://www.nyc.gov/site/dycd/services/food_pantries.page
Support Immigrant Communities (all links came from @chnge):
The Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights of Los Angeles (@chirla_org): https://www.chirla.org/donatenow/
Immigrant Defenders Law Center (@immdef_lawcenter): https://www.immdef.org
Inland Coalition 4 Imm Justice (@ic4ij): https://secure.actblue.com/donate/jornaleros
Next Episode
In this week’s episode I sat down with Anna Johannes. Anna is a 2012 Paralympic bronze medalist and a seasoned strategist dedicated to redefining the intersection of sport and disability. After transitioning from elite swimming to the corporate world for the past decade, she has now launched her own consultancy, On the One Hand, and currently serves as a Partner and Co-founder at Culxtured, a media collective redefining Paralympic storytelling.
We discussed the Milan 2026 Paralympic Games, from the athletes to the competition to the media coverage, and much, much more.
This episode was edited and produced by Ben Curwin.
All proceeds from purchasing this episode will be split between City Harvest and Food Bank For NYC.
Join Always Looking Up on Substack: https://jilliancurwin645746.substack.com
Join The Patreon: https://patreon.com/AlwaysLookingUp
Follow Anna: Instagram: @Anna_f_johannes
Follow Culxtured: Instagram: @culxtured TikTok: @culxtured_ Website: https://culxtured.com
Follow Me: Instagram: @jill_ilana , @alwayslookingup.podcast TikTok: @jillian_ilana Website: https://www.jillianilana.com Email: alwayslookingup227@gmail.com
Read With Me:
Support Minneapolis:
Stand With Minnesota: https://www.standwithminnesota.com
MN NOICE: https://mnnoice.com
Community Aid Network MN: https://www.canmn.org
Support Those Impacted By The Cutting Of SNAP Benefits:
Feeding America: https://www.feedingamerica.org
World Central Kitchen: https://wck.org
No Kid Hungry: https://www.nokidhungry.org
List Of NYC Food Pantries: https://www.nyc.gov/site/dycd/services/food_pantries.page
Support Immigrant Communities (all links came from @chnge):
The Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights of Los Angeles (@chirla_org): https://www.chirla.org/donatenow/
Immigrant Defenders Law Center (@immdef_lawcenter): https://www.immdef.org
Inland Coalition 4 Imm Justice (@ic4ij): https://secure.actblue.com/donate/jornaleros
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