At first glance, what captured my attention about Viktoria Modesta was the look in her eyes—they’re alluring, burning with ambition and sex appeal—and then, as the camera pans down in the music video for her single Prototype, I noticed something strange. A needle held by surgical-gloved hands rose into the air, as did a gleaming knife marked in red, while she sat there in her thrown, surrounded by red-robed characters. We go on to discover that she sports a prosthetic left leg, seen as a source of power and revolution throughout the music video, which was made for Channel 4’s Born Risky campaign set to challenge society’s stereotypes. And she does exactly that, strutting and dancing with a with a Swarovski leg and a bionic leg that gives Lady Gaga a run for her money, as the story raises her to a higher power, worshipped by the younger generation in secrecy. Many girls grow up dreaming of becoming pop stars, complete with a media-generated idea of the perfect body image. And now British singer, songwriter and model Viktoria Modesta is here to stomp all over that. Check out this rising star and fashion muse with her iconic leg, as well as the music video for Prototype after the jump.
Though Viktoria began her career as a model, appearing in subculture magazines and art galleries by the age of 15, she was faced with a grave obstacle. Due to a doctor’s negligence at birth, she was left with a lasting problem in her in left leg, causing her to have spent most of her childhood in and out of hospitals. So, with her goals still set on continuing her career as a musician, artist and model, Viktoria decided on a below-the-knee amputation at age 20 in order to improve her mobility. Refusing to become a victim of circumstance, she uses her leg to her advantage. Featuring glamourized versions of the typical prosthetic leg, designed by Sophie de Oliveira for the Alternative Limb Project, her music video challenges our perceptions of the modern pop and fashion world. In the video, Viktoria wears pieces by Vivienne Westwood, KTZ, House of Harlot, House of Malakai, IIMUAHII Couture, Natacha Marro London, Inbar Spector, Lyall Hakaraia, Ada Zandition and an unforgettable pair of black crystal wings and crystal panties by German designer Lorand Lajos. Check out the intense sequence at the end of her video for Prototype, where she gives a shocking performance with a spike leg.
Photo: Alternative Limb Project
