A Leg Up.

Sometime around freshman year, when I was wandering around the vast expanse that NYC is, open-mouthed and gaping at everything; I happened upon 2 handsome runners taking a break by a pay phone. I was checking them out, letting my eyes travel southward to discover that both of them were running on prosthetic legs. Gleaming, exquisite, sophisticated machinery. Looked more like shocks and struts, than an apparatus designed to keep the human body aloft; and running no less! In a word, breathtaking.

I was mesmerized. These weren't some plastic Barbie legs, this was complicated and elegant machinery. It not only looked beautiful, it was keeping these 2 hotties up and running. What is sexier than that? Function and form.

Needless to say, ever since then, I've had a bit of a fascination in the development of prosthetics. I've always jumped at a chance to read up on what Aimee Mullins is up to. Even had a picture of her wearing Alexander Mcqueen prosthetics on my wall throughout college.

And now a new addition to the prosthetic pantheon. Pure poetry.

Thanks Aviya Serfaty for the innovation.

Read more on the subject at the ever-inspiring Design Boom.

ps. Seriously, check out the Aimee Mullins link too, amazing.