Teen Model Slays In Crystal Prosthetic Leg

When Chiara Bordi was just 12 years old, she was involved into a terrific moped accident that cost her half of her leg. She was coming back from a dance recital.Show more

No one would have judged her if she tried hiding this feature of hers, but instead the now-17-year-old embraces her faults by wearing a prosthetic leg covered in crystals. “I never thought someone like me could be a model. After the accident I’d never even thought about becoming one” says the aspiring model.

“I remember everything vividly, I could never forget it. The pain was indescribable. It was the most pain you could ever feel.”

She remembers: “My foot was crushed, I was screaming. A helicopter took me to the hospital. I looked at my foot, there was too much blood. I knew deep down that my foot was in such a bad condition, it had to be amputated.” It took the young girl nine months to be able to walk again.

Now, Chiara could be taking down the catwalk, after a designer from Campobasso, in Molise in Italy offered her to model a one-of-a-kind prosthesis. “The first photoshoot was strange, having a prosthetic on show that was all done up. But from that moment onward, and from building up experience, I found the belief that I could do it.”

Chiara’s talent has been recognized by Models of Diversity, the campaign to encourage brands and publications to use more diverse models. Their founder, Angel Sinclair said: “I think what make Chiara such a good model is her confidence, she doesn’t let her disability hold her back. I think without a shadow of a doubt one of the London agencies is going to take her.”

While she does love her modeling gigs, Chiara also concentrates on her studies, hoping to one day become an orthopaedic doctor.

For more information on Models of Diversity, visit: www.modelsofdiversity.org.