Models: Michelle Salt and Nadine Richards| Makeup: Ivonne Arsenault

“We’re artists, not prosthetists.”

“We’re fashion junkies, totally obsessed with design. And when we started The ALLELES Design Studio, we were trying to solve a style problem. Not a limb one. In an industry saturated with robotic aesthetics and clunky contours, our prosthetic covers endeavour to transform something mechanical into something mechani-chic.”

LOOK 1: Michelle Salt. This design is called ‘the Allens’.  The undulating triangular motif and color scheme born from digital coding and fabrication references the fashion trends of this season and the last.  This is the first shift in looking at prosthetics as clothing rather than equipment.

LOOK 2: Nadine Richards. To advance, move forward, and create social change, ‘the Démarche’ embodies the idea that design is more than just an aesthetic. The recognizable quilting and lace patterning of the Démarche lets you know that this is not a medical device anymore removing stigma.

More information on the ALLELES Design Studio can be found at: http://www.alleles.ca/

The ALLELES Design Studio team is:

  • McCauley Wanner: Co-Founder/Art Director. McCauley Wanner graduated with her masters of Industrial Design from the University of Calgary in 2011. Her thesis titled, ‘Empowering by Revealing: A Study in the Hybridity of Fashion and Prosthetics’, has become the basis for the ALLELES Design studio.
  • Ryan Palibroda: Co-Founder/ Technology Director. Ryan Palibroda graduated with his masters of Architecture from the University of Calgary in 2011.  With a very digitally heavy thesis he found himself unable to apply these niche skills to the scale of architecture.  Fashion allows him to explore on a more human scale and gradually progress towards larger projects.

The duo joined forces and started fabricating and designing prosthetic covers in the fall of 2013.

Technical Information:

  • Prosthetic Covers are digitally fabricated using CNC milling, lazer etching, and 3D printing. 

“Being able to showcase our work on the MakeFashion runway has proven again the significance of style, design and technology.  Fashion is a great catalyst for showcasing a variety of work in an attainable way that gets people talking about the future of design, art, engineering, and technology.  Being included in this conversation is extremely humbling and exciting to say the least.  Our models killed it on the runway and had such a great time shattering the stigma surrounding disability. We hope to continue showcasing our interpretation of technology, fashion and design at upcoming MakeFashion galas in the future!”

– The ALLELES Design Studio