Golden Heel – A fashion-first prosthetic leg
ROLE
Individual project
Art Gallery project @ “Society.Exclusive
DURATION
2 months (8 weeks)
TOOLS
Fusion 360 l Keyshot l Photoshop l Illustrator
OVERVIEW
Golden Heel is a prosthetic leg concept designed for the Met Gala, rethinking prosthetics as objects of fashion rather than solely medical devices. I identified three essential challenges in prosthetic design: limited aesthetic choice, the dominance of function over personal expression, and social stigma surrounding disability. Inspired by high-fashion footwear, I developed the Golden Heel to celebrate individuality and style, turning the prosthetic into a statement piece. The design highlights how prosthetics can move beyond functionality to become empowering symbols of identity, creativity, and cultural participation.
Design Story
The Golden Heel began as a provocation: what would a prosthetic look like if fashion, not function, dictated every choice? Inspired by the theatricality of the Met Gala, I drew on avant-garde footwear and sculptural couture to create a prosthetic that celebrates visibility and self-image.
Material choices became central to this statement. I replaced the expected carbon-fibre running blade with a glass heel—a deliberate move to highlight form over function, fragility over speed, spectacle over practicality. At the same time, I kept touches of carbon fibre in the structural components, nodding to the industrial origins of prosthetic design while recontextualising them within a high-fashion object.
Digitally modelled and hand-finished, the leg embraces exaggerated curves and a gold-toned surface that reflects luxury and confidence. Rather than concealing mechanics, it elevates them into aesthetic detail, treating the prosthetic as sculpture.
The result is a piece that stands at the intersection of fashion and identity—a prosthetic that doesn’t try to blend in, but commands attention. The Golden Heel challenges prosthetic design to expand beyond function, reclaiming the prosthetic as a cultural symbol of empowerment, glamour, and individuality.
Inspiration
Robert F. Murphy’s The Body Silent shaped this project, exposing how disability is often seen as undesirable and prosthetics reduced to medical fixes. Murphy writes,
“The disabled person is viewed as a social problem rather than a whole human being.”
His work revealed how people with disabilities seek dignity, confidence, and self-expression in daily life, not just functional solutions. This perspective inspired me to approach prosthetic design as a cultural and emotional statement, challenging the dominance of “function first” thinking.
