This Woman Used a Louis Vuitton Purse to Make a Prosthetic Leg

A British model who lost her leg after getting hit by a taxi in New York City seven years ago has made the most out of her ordeal, turning a vintage Louis Vuitton purse into a prosthetic leg. When life hands you lemonades, make ‘em fashion.

“It actually came to me in a dream that I had this super leg,” Sian Green-Lord told BBC. “I remember telling my husband in the morning. He was like ‘Why is that crazy? Why don’t you just do it?’”

The prosthesis has made it possible for Green-Lord to wear heels for the first time since she was hit, including a pair of Louis Vuitton boots that happen to match her leg. “Being able to have this leg just gave me so much more confidence back,” she said.

To make her dream a reality, Green-Lord bought an old Louis Vuitton purse for around $200, since she figured she was going to chop it up anyway. But even if she’d bought a brand new one, it seems like it would have been well worth the investment.

“This leg is a product of somebody who I was before I lost my leg and it’s almost a collaboration to myself,” she said. “To the person I was then and to the person I am now. I just feel really whole and really fulfilled because I got a feeling back I never thought I’d feel again.”

The less cheery side of this feel-good story is that Green-Lord still hasn’t received any money after she was hit by the cab, and the driver never faced criminal charges. Welcome to New York!