One of Chicago’s most intriguing small businesses is located in two apartments on a residential street in the city’s Bridgeport neighborhood.
“Lemonbrat” is a boutique manufacturer that makes fursuits: full body stylized animal attire worn by a group of people who call themselves “furries.”
The furry subculture has been around since at least the early 1990s, and it’s popular: Midwest Furfest, held annually in the Chicago suburb of Rosemont, claims it had over 10,000 attendees last year.
Lemonbrat’s suits retail for up to $5000. The company’s team of sixteen taylors, designers, and molders churn out twenty to thirty suits a month--they say they’re one of the largest fursuit makers in the country.
WBEZ documented Lemonbrat’s fursuit-making process in the photos below.
