Final prototype of developed knee brace, shown on the body with context for everyday wear.
Back view of final leggings prototype, created by inserting the brace prototype and inspired by body dynamic and movement lines.
The set up for 3D printing brace structures onto high stretch powermesh fabric, used to provide support, compression, and comfort.
Concept board portraying leftover material from creating strapped knee braces out of fashion fabric, showing how beautiful braces are and paying homage to their origins.
Master of Design
Fashion Design, Industrial Design
Embracing Empowerment aims to explore functional and adaptive fashion design solutions for patella alta through empathy-centred design. Through practice-led research, empathic design approaches were used to create garments to support those who experience patella alta and use medical knee braces. A mixed method approach with a user-centred methodology created a series of prototypes that reinterpret responses to the condition as empowering, due to functional and aesthetically pleasing fashion design solutions.