The item being reviewed is 4 years old and may not reflect the makers current style, or work.
Maker Information
Melissa Mendelson Art
(MMNDLSN
Based in Ohio, Cincinnati.
Crafting since 2012.
Review Date 18 October 2022Relationship The maker is NOT a friendThis relationship was indicated by the reviewer at the time this review was written.
Review Information Reviewer Twitter: kahluakoyote Prior Experience No, this is my first fursuit.
Wear Time Only a few hours total.Informed Maker of Issues Yes, the head was a little tight. She explained how to remove padding, however I chose not to tamper with the fursuit head.
KahluaKoyote
Project This item was a commission Paid: A Payment Plan of $3000 - $4999 Initial Contact: May 2022
Completion/Ship Date: August 2022
Shipping Origin: USA
Type: Partial
Style: Realistic
Padding: None
Species Name: Coyote
Found in: Canidae (?)
Features: None
Photos of Completed Product
Overall Initial Contact It took a couple of days for a response which was quicker than I expected. She posted when her commission openings would be on social media and I hopped on the opportunity. Her website clearly explains the terms of service and the steps I needed to take. Maker Communication She's responded to my emails typically within a day or two. She goes to conventions so there were a few times where her responses were a little slower. Zulayawolf was pleasant to work with and kept things professional. She answered all of my crazy first time buyer questions. Project Completion Time The fursuit was promised by August and she was on target. She started my suit in July and had it finished quickly. It was shipped in a timely manner, I received it in 3 or 4 days I believe. Tracking was provided and she used USPS.
Overall Project Quality I'm beyond satisfied with my fursuit. I'm gentle with it and plan for it to last years to come. It is very high quality and aesthetically stunning. I believe Kahlua was worth the price because the maker clearly knows what she's doing and is a skilled artist. I would absolutely buy another suit from Zulayawolf again.
Components
Head Wear Satisfaction The head is too tight on my glasses unfortunately, so I take them off when I'm wearing it. It was my error for not taking into account the extra few inches of space I would need. I do not fault the maker for this. Otherwise the head is great! It has a fan in the muzzle that keeps me cool. I do breathe heavily in the suit but I'm unsure if that's from lack of ventilation or if I'm still getting used to fursuiting. It also has a moving jaw which sometimes squeaks a little, though I expect the squeaking to stop as I use the jaw more and more.
Visual Satisfaction The head is BEAUTIFUL! I asked Zulayawolf to create a realistic coyote with lightly colored fur. I gave her as much artistic freedom as I could while still giving her information about what I hope my character would look like. My fursuit turned out to be even better than I had imagined. Hands Wear Satisfaction Hands are a perfect fit. They are not too tight and don't slide off. Very durable with a nice, comfortable patterned material on the inside.
Visual Satisfaction The hand paws look so realistic! They have claws and paw pads as well. Tail Wear Satisfaction My belt slips right into the tail and the tail sits comfortably. No issues at all!
Visual Satisfaction Gorgeous tail! I requested the tail would stop at calf length, which was in between the medium and large tail options. Zulayawolf was happy to accommodate. Feet Wear Satisfaction The feet are a little tricky to slip into because the shoes themselves will tuck and bend when I put them on (I chose the shoes and sent them to the maker. They are vans) .. but it was nothing a shoe horn couldn't fix! Otherwise the feetpaws are comfortable and the claws tip tap on the tile floor.
Visual Satisfaction The feetpaws look fantastic! I requested they be made for both indoor and outdoor fursuiting. They are definitely durable though I am a little bit chicken about getting them dirty.
Rating FursuitReview rates by asking the question: Would you recommend this maker?
YES
This review has been marked with a positive rating.
Melissa Mendelson Art .
Final Comments Overall I highly recommend Zulayawolf. She's an expert on realism but also can create mythical creatures too. I'm so happy I contacted her!
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I have very similar issues with my ZulayaWolf suit made the same year. Her suit heads seem to run on the smaller side as she is repurposing molds bought from Crystumes and Brushwolf. None of her suits can fit glasses easily, even my super-slim, half-rim glasses were too large so I wear contacts. The jaw on my suit squeals an awful lot and lubricant and “breaking the suit in” has not helped.