This Amazing Zootopia Costume Was Made in Under 3 Weeks

I was so impressed with the film Zootopia and the character design around Judy Hopps, that I was compelled to create myself a cosplay/costume of it. I built the entire costume (mask, tail, gloves, and paw-shoes) in about 2.5 weeks. I had to create the entire pattern from scratch, attempting to stay as close to design model as possible while scaling everything up to fit a human-sized costumer. The costume features 3D printed eye sclera, resin teeth, custom carved foam head and feet, and some specialty modified fake fur fabric.

I’m really pleased with how she looks, and really enjoy giving tribute to what has easily become one of my favorite role models of recent films. I’ve been fortunate enough to have the opportunity to wear the costume at some fan conventions and the response has been so charming; my appreciation for the empowered bunny cop is shared by so many!

The bun tail is pretty self explanatory. It has a carved foam core, and reinforced belt loops to help it stay perky and bounce.

The interior glove shot I included to show that despite being a rush build, it was built with comfort and durability in mind. The gloves include minky fabric claws which are sewn in place, and all the seams are as finished and tidy as possible to avoid any friction or seam rubbing.

I purchased the fabric from a vendor in LA, and it was a really good fit, but not perfect. I had to ‘edit’ it by plucking out the dark guard hairs from the backing, so that when I shaved the fabric it would have a natural, on-model gradient from light to dark grey. It took a really REALLY long time, but the end effect was worth it.

Finally, the eye forms were 3D printed to as close a match as I could with the original source. Judy has great big expressive eyes, so I tried to do them justice! I strive for my costumes to be as durable as possible, to withstand being mauled by fans and tossed in the wash, so using tools to make reinforced, long lasting components is a big asset.

You can see more of Colleen’s work on her website, dragonsquared.com