Model loses both legs and becomes an icon with golden prosthetic legs

In October 2012, American Lauren Wasser fell into a deep depression. She is a sought-after model at the peak of her career – and suddenly becomes seriously ill. The consequences of the disease change her life in such a blatant way that she often feels the desire to simply end it.

A good ten years later, she writes an essay for the British magazine Vogue, in which she reports openly about her stroke of fate – and how she met it. “When I woke up from the induced coma in unbearable pain, I no longer recognized myself. My whole identity was taken from me, my beauty and my body, which I thought at the time made me what I was.”

In her text she describes what happened to her at the age of 24. She was found unconscious at home on October 3, 2012 and taken to a hospital. There she was diagnosed with Toxic Shock Syndrome (TSS) – caused by an excessive concentration of bacteria in the body. This can happen, for example, when a tampon is used. The consequences of the shock are two heart attacks and kidney failure. Lauren Wasser’s chance of survival is estimated at only one percent. When she finally wakes up from the coma, she is told that gangrene has developed on one of her lower legs and that her leg will have to be amputated. She slowly realizes that things will never be the same again.

After the amputation, she vacillates between depression and self-love

At first it seems impossible for her to accept this new reality. After all, she grew up in the fashion world. Her parents were both models themselves and Lauren Wasser made her debut as a two-month-old baby alongside her mother Pamela Cook in Vogue Italy. In California, Wasser grew up alongside supermodels like Naomi Campbell and Cindy Crawford.

She writes how she grieved for her leg by “sitting in a chair in the shower, screaming at God” and wondering why and how it had happened. “I thought that I would never be loved again; I thought I wouldn’t be wanted anymore – and I was sure that the fashion world wouldn’t accept me anymore.”

She falls into a deep depression and considers taking her own life. But the love for her little brother, who was 13 at the time, and her belief in herself prevent the worst from happening. She starts fighting. “I had to force myself to dig deep to discover that beauty isn’t just in the outside, but in the way we affect others and the world.” This keen sense of self helps Wasser embrace her destiny .

There is only one direction for the model: Forward!

When she also loses her second lower leg a few years later, she is so strengthened that she braces herself against another collapse and simply turns the tables. She looks ahead and makes her unhappiness a trademark: the prostheses she has to wear are supposed to be something special. The standard medical models are not an option for them. “I’ve always loved gold, so I decided to embellish my legs, consciously create something that people would look at and be mesmerized by. The result, I think, is pretty close to art,” Wasser writes. The plan succeeds. So good that she is actually booked for the catwalk again and quickly gets her new nickname: “Girl with the golden legs”.

She runs for major fashion labels such as Louis Vuitton and Dolce & Gabbana and is regularly featured in Vogue and Elle.

In her Vogue essay, Wasser recalls the show finale of a Louis Vuitton spring collection: “Like a knight in shining armor: That’s how I felt at the conclusion of the Louis Vuitton Cruise Show in San Diego last May. As the sun set behind the beautiful, brutalist Salk Institute, casting long shadows on the concrete runway, I stepped out in a floor-length silver coat – my legs shone golden as the evening light from under metallic shorts – and showed the models behind me the Away.”

With her golden legs she becomes an athletic muse

This led to other outstanding performances, such as in the 2023 edition of the exclusive Pirelli calendar, for which the most famous models and photographers are hired every year. Australian photographer Emma Summerton captured water for the 2023 themed ‘Love Letters to the Muse’ calendar. Water embodies the “athlete” – one who, according to Summerton, “competes not in the Olympics but in life. (…) A ‘Joan of Orleans character’ who is never slowed down by fear.”

Wasser uses her status in the fashion world to redefine beauty and advance the acceptance of diversity in the industry.

The model is at peace with herself: a circle has closed

“I’ve watched the industry slowly become more inclusive over the past decade, but make no mistake: I’ve had to fight hard to get my place. There was no template for a model like me. It was rare to see someone like me walk the runway. I had to make my own way. Walking the Louis Vuitton show felt like coming full circle,” writes Lauren Wasser in Vogue.

She also uses her reputation to create awareness for women’s health and to point out the dangers that – which is all too often concealed – can be found in so-called feminine hygiene products. “There needs to be more information about what can happen when using tampons, and the responsibility for this should clearly lie with companies,” she emphasizes, citing tampon advertising as an example. “You see a girl walking along the beach, but where is the warning about the potentially fatal damage that this product can cause?” At least there is a clear warning on cigarette packs, and then you can decide whether you want to smoke or not. It should be the same with hygiene products that nobody suspects are dangerous, Wasser demands.

More than ten years after her stroke of fate, Lauren Wasser is at peace with herself: “I’m (…) like everyone else. I can wear anything; I can do everything. The one difference? My legs are made of gold. It’s a belief that touches every aspect of my life – as a lesbian woman I think all people deserve to have someone who suits them, who makes them feel special and loved. We are all human and we should be accepted by everyone for who we are.”

Adaptation from English: Paula Onusseit.

Autor: Louisa Schaefer