[YES] Shio the Lynx / Caracal by Zuri Studios The item being reviewed is 3 years old and may not reflect the makers current style, or work. Maker Information Zuri Studios Year of Project2023 Completion Time (?)4 - 6 Months ETA AccuracyEARLY - the item was delivered before the ETA An ETA is the Estimated Time of Arrival for a project. In other words, an estimated turnaround time. An ETA is not a deadline. Review Date18 October 2023 RelationshipThe maker IS a friendThis relationship was indicated by the reviewer at the time this review was written. Review InformationReviewerShioLynx Prior ExperienceSeveral years experience with mascot costumes and fursuits. I have previously owned 3 different fursuit costumes since 2013. Wear Time60+ Informed Maker of IssuesI felt comfortable to communicate all concerns/issues to her at any time. Shio by Zuri Studios Positive ProjectThis item was a commission Paid: A Payment Plan of $6000 and over ◼️ Initial Contact: March 2023 Completion/Ship Date: June 2023 Shipping Origin: Czech Republic Type: Fullsuit Style: Real/Toon Hybrid Padding: Digitigrade SpeciesName: Lynx / Caracal Found in: Felidae(?) Features: None Concept Art Photos of Completed Product Overall Initial ContactZuri had mentioned on Patreon that she would be considering slots from Patrons around when her auction ended in October 2022. I submitted Shio's design for a potential Patron-slot. Maker CommunicationAlways really good. She was kind enough to keep communication well organized and separate with lots of photos, video, and consistent updates weekly. She shared a very detailed and updated Trello for me before she started and it was kept well-updated with each step of progress. She also had a professional approach to payment and installments. Having open and clear expectations with the funds made me feel even more comfortable, she would notify me over 1+ week in advance and was more than fair with overall price expectations. The *only* significant delay throughout the entire suit was due to weather for the final photos. Project Completion TimeIt felt faster than she expected! She estimated 3-4 months from start to finish and she was completely prepared to start and had it done in under 3 months. She communicated often and always provided prompt updates when expected. She worked independently and even when she had a question that required her to wait for feedback, she would work on something else so that the time was efficiently used to keep the suit on schedule. Overall Project QualityFrom start to finish Zuri made efforts to take specific photos to communicate key details and preferences. She included notes and comparisons and was willing to offer her experience freely to make sure that I was well aware of things to look out for. She provided great visual examples for ideas and recommendations. This was an extremely serious purchase for me after years of saving and consideration. I had complete trust in her abilities. The work ethic she has for a polished final piece yields an amazing overall experience as a commissioner. I trusted her at every step of the process, seeing Shio freely come alive in her style was a once in a lifetime event. I have a huge amount of respect for her craft and she truly deserves every accolade, admiration, and more. I don't think you can even put a dollar amount on something like this. She brought a character completely to life true to my wishes. It was a privilege to have the opportunity. Components Head Wear SatisfactionFits perfectly with exceptional quality of neoprene-type liner on the inside which keeps it cool for long wearing periods. Each measurement provided was carefully implemented and the head is incredibly comfortable to wear. The materials are some of the nicest I believe I'd seen between cosplay fabrication and fursuit craft. It's a testament to all the chosen medium that went into the suit. The eyes, eye lids and all other seam details are flawless to all scrutiny. I've examined and admired the head to great detail to provide a fair and inclusive review and it's honestly an incredible piece of artwork to hold. The bangs tuft is also completely independently sewn, so if it ever needed to be removed — the separate markings are still sewn carefully underneath. Seams and shave length all add to the feel and care of the suit as well, I have not found a single thread to be out of place. Visual SatisfactionAll of the details that went into the suit were paid attention to. The cheek muzzle markings were one of the things that was most important to me so that they angled just up to her nose around the side of her nose. From the pictures I hope it's evident how well this was implemented because it was perfect and she was able to flow it directly into the rest of the fur under her eyes without any distinguishable different in direction. The shave and consistency throughout the fur lengths is noticeably well done, even ruffling fur different ways doesn't yield any areas of concern. The markings and symmetry is wonderful. I cannot notice a single part that doesn't mirror near perfection on both sides. It's honestly just a manifestation of joy and skill right into a fursuit head and I love everything about it. All the colours were true to what I had requested and extra details and questions about the head were always respected. All the fur feels and looks amazing, and the hand-painted eyes and eye-lids give ample opportunity for a lot of expression. Down to every thread the head in perfectly crafted. I love the accent markings, eyes, eyelines and small markings above the eyes. Her WIPs were a testament to her skills getting each part of the head just right. One-Piece Body Wear SatisfactionThe padding completely amazed me. It was a detail I have seen done differently in a lot of different suits, the netted breathable weave within Zuri's suits is very unique and professional. It's hard to describe but it lets heat freely flow for a digitigrade suit and makes for a big quality of life improvement to full-suit for long periods of time. Visual SatisfactionNote: She proposed a small alteration to the design so that the seams would be positioned better and I love the finished result. She gave me a lot of different options for fur length ideas throughout the planning of the body suit and all of them culminated into a totally awesome bodysuit that looks great. The sheen of the fur and lustre wasn't lost at all on parts that needed shaving and you cannot tell that it was shaved almost anywhere. Hands Wear SatisfactionBoth pairs of paws that I have are true to fit and are very comfortable. The seams are tidy on the inside with removeable pillows on the inside for washing convenience. The rolled binding on the end of the fur has her custom neoprene-style fabric and rests perfectly against the skin. Visual SatisfactionLooks wonderful, everything is symmetrical. The angle of the claws and resting form of the paws has a playful natural appearance. Symmetry: Wonderful, flawless appearance. Shaving: You can barely notice it was shaved, it looks like one piece of fur on the parts with the same length. Materials: High Quality Colours: Saying this again, I love them. She also had planned well and always had enough fur despite the main color being sold out. Tail Wear SatisfactionPerfectly comfortable with the attached tail and the spare partialing tail(s) are both high quality and fit perfectly on any belt. Visual SatisfactionShe made 3 versions of the tail and showed some really subtle but noticeable differences based on where she placed the seams. It was a privilege to have her clear communication on each of them The markings all turned out really nicely. The direction of the fur all matches precisely and the difference in lengths for the bottom rufflled fur adds a lot of character. Symmetry: Wonderful, flawless appearance. Shaving: You can barely notice it was shaved, it looks like one piece of fur on the parts with the same length. Materials: High Quality Colours: Saying this again, I love them. She also had planned well and always had enough fur despite the main color being sold out. Feet Wear SatisfactionThey are a great stomping size without being too big. Easy to walk carefully in and comfortable. They are sized to slide on snug without being too tight so that they don't fall off. The interior has a great neoprene liner that makes cleaning simple. Overall the quality and durability has been first-rate and they are a joy to wear. Visual SatisfactionThey proportion perfectly to the rest of the bodysuit and I love how they look with mid-toe colours as requested. Zuri mentioned the idea of having her toes claws retracted and I loved the inspiration and the finished product looks so unique and fun. I love how they turned out. Symmetry: Wonderful, flawless appearance. Shaving: You can barely notice it was shaved, it looks like one piece of fur on the parts with the same length. Materials: High Quality Colours: Saying this again, I love them. She also had planned well and always had enough fur despite the main color being sold out. RatingFursuitReview rates by asking the question: Would you recommend this maker? YES This review has been marked with a positive rating. This means the reviewer would recommend Zuri Studios. Final CommentsThe suit brings me so much joy to wear and will for years to come. It was a serious undertaking that Zuri used every bit of skill in her craft to complete. I don't think there is a dollar amount you can put into the passion and experience that someone like Zuri has, it was truly a pleasure to commission her through Patreon. Are you the maker of this item? Would you like to leave an official response? Click here. In case the button above doesn't work, you can click here to launch the maker response form.
