The creators of the ALLELES Design Studio told students “You are not designing for your peers; you are designing for your client,” during the Alleles reception and lecture.

On Feb. 17, 2017, McCauley Wanner and Ryan Palibroda, co-creators of the Alleles Design Studio, spoke at Kent State University. The event was hosted by student organization Dress Up For Downs.

During the event, Wanner and Palibroda were introduced by Dr. Tameka Ellington, the creator of the (dis)ABLED Beauty exhibition at the Kent State University Museum, which includes the pairs’ pieces.

The pair discussed how they got into the business of custom prosthetics and why they do it.

“We are designing for the different,” said Wanner, the art director of Alleles Design Studio.

In an interview before the lecture, Wanner, the art director for the studio, said that the idea started as a part of her master thesis.

“It was one of those things where it was a nice art project but we really wanted to turn it into a reality,” said Wanner.

The pair went on to talk about who and what inspired them, one of those things were eye glasses.

“They used to be something that were clear to try and hide them,” said Palibroda. “Now, fashion designers have come into this space and transformed eyeglasses into something really high fashion.”

The message for the event and their work is clear. They create their work to solve a problem.

“That inspires us every single day,” said Wanner. “We really need to have people start making things that are beautiful and solve a problem. They also want to normalize prosthetics and amputees.

During their lecture, they told the audience of a story about a fashion show. When the model got to the end of the runway, everyone started to cheer when they realized she had an amputation.

“It’s amazing because it showed support,” said Wanner. “The problem is that it’s a reflection of our society, and the fact it’s so shocking that an amputee can be on the runway is really sad; they’re just a person.”

The ALLELES Design Studio is based in Canada. They have a online worldwide store for people to access. You can visit the site here http://www.alleles.ca/

Be sure to check out their work at the (dis)ABLED Beauty exhibition at the Kent State University Museum before it closes March 12, 2017.