There’s this sparking moment right before I pull a brand new thick mask over my head. This initial moment, pre-transformation, my brain flooding with excitement before I get that glimpse in the mirror at my reconditioned appearance. The last part of my dressing process as I’m already coated in head-to-toe rubber, silicone or lycra. The final detail that completes my fetishistic transformation as my eyes catch my reflection for the first time. 

Speaking specifically about transformation, I was delighted to get the opportunity to sit down with the artisan silicone crafters at Smitizen and find out more about their range of masks and body coverings that remodel the human form into something deeply explicit. In recent years, silicone has captured more and more of my attention. I’d noticed huge advancements with the material and what makers like Smitizen were doing to make our biggest desires a reality.

From their eccentric boot mask to their extreme muscle suits, their glossy bodysuits to their monster wings, at the base of it all this creation of fantasy into a perverted reality. Silicone has many advantages over other materials to shape with the body given its ‘floppy’ compound, sitting between a liquid-gloop and a dense solid. Between our skin and the outside world, a sculpted creature is realised.

Let’s hear directly from the source and get on with the interview.

Thanks for your time today. I wanted to start by asking, how long have Smitizen been producing silicone items and how has this evolved over time?

It’s been longer than most people think, over 14 years that we’ve been in production making all kinds of silicone items! Smitizen actually started making cosplay props at the very beginning. This slowly transformed into creating realistic masks which were really popular and mainly used for things like Halloween and fantasy dress. We found that silicone is the perfect material to create living-sculptures which sit on the body, that’s where the idea for making muscle suits came from. 

Thinking back, we’ve grown so much now that there’s a really wide range of stuff. We make animal body suits, tails, wings and even penis toys!! Time flies when you have fun.

Glad to hear that it’s always evolving. I’d love to know a bit more about your process working with silicone. For instance, how long does it take to make a mask from start to finish?

I can’t really answer that in one way or another. Each item takes anything from a few hours to a few days and there’s many different stages in the process. 

We start the production of an item with sculpting, followed by moving onto making an exact mold, this then needs to be cast and finally painted. There’s some other processes in there depending on the item but for a standard mask this is what we do. 

Something which has always fascinated me is how the body can be changed by silicone in ways that are difficult with other materials. I know that Smitizen are well known for their muscle suits, what was it that drove you to start making items based on over-proportionate muscles?

We started making silicone muscle suits because we noticed that many people, mainly cosplayers, performers, fitness enthusiasts, wanted a way to transform their body shape into something of their deepest fantasies. Originally this started with these kinds of groups and then grew more and more into nicher areas like the furry world. The muscles became bigger, more extreme and we were always fascinated seeing what we could do with that.

As we said before, silicone really is the best material for shaping and sculpting. It adds form to your body, so naturally a muscle suit fits into that idea.

At the time that we started, there were very few options that looked natural and were comfortable to wear. We’ve spent years perfecting the way that the suit can be as realistic as possible, almost as if they were your real muscles. That’s another benefit to silicone as it allows you to feel the true weightiness like it was your own flesh!

I know you also produce latex items, like bibs and shorts. Is it safe to pair latex with silicone?

Yes! Latex and silicone can generally be used together but there’s a  few things to keep in mind…

Silicone and latex don’t chemically react with each other, from what we’ve seen. We usually say there is a really low risk of damage from simple contact or wearing for a few hours but we recommend avoiding storing latex and silicone together. With some silicone items like dildos it’s best to keep these away from latex at all times as the compound can be different, but most suits, masks, and other things are fine.

Silicone surfaces can sometimes stick to latex, especially if both materials are smooth and tight-fitting. To avoid this, we recommend applying a small amount of silicone oil or talcum powder where they touch. That way you don’t risk tearing the latex as you move about.

A general rule of thumb is that some people are allergic to natural latex. So if you have sensitive skin, it’s a good idea to test it on your body first.

So, in short, yes, they can be paired together, as long as you take care of the surface protecting it. 

That’s actually really helpful! I always was concerned about it myself. Another question, I’m sure you get a lot is why silicone items don’t come in different sizes?

Silicone is a naturally elastic material. It conforms to your body and doesn’t need to have specific sizes like other materials. If you have a large body type it’s going to stretch to cover it. It’s why we prefer it over things like latex or leather!

But it’s important to also know that although silicone has a lot of stretchability, be mindful when putting it on, keep your nails trimmed to avoid tearing it and ensure the inside is coated with talc or silicone oil so it easily slides over your body.

Solid advice for those looking to purchase their first silicone item! If you have to choose some items from your store for a beginner starting off, what would you recommend?

For someone just starting with their first silicone item, we’d recommend beginning with pieces that are easy to handle, wear and maintain. A few suggestions we usually say are things like face prosthetics or masks. We have a simple silicone hood which is a cheaper alternative and good first purchase to see what you think of the material. Our human hood collection are also great for beginners because they’re lightweight, easy to put on, and give a realistic look without being too complex.

Another option is buying some hand or arm pieces, these are partial silicone items that come as gloves or socks and allow you to experience the feel and stretch of silicone, without committing to a full body suit!

Speaking of hoods, I really loved when you released the boot mask. I think it’s such a fetishistic piece of kit! Where did this idea come from and what were the challenges in making it?

We’re glad you really like the boot mask, it means a lot to hear! The idea actually came from our community. Fans of extreme transformation mixed with this bizarre fantasy wanted something that would resemble a rubber boot and merge it into a full unified look.

Once we’d heard it we couldn’t get it out of our heads–no pun intended! It was fascinating thinking how the head can be shaped into the structure of a boot. It was a challenge to make a reality. We had to balance the weight of silicone while keeping the rigid look to the boot, the mold took a lot of refining but we’re really pleased with the result!

It sounds like you’re always enthusiastic to hear from your supporters/fans. I’ve seen some amazing custom creations that you’ve made for them over the years. Can you speak a bit more about that and give some examples of previous custom orders you’ve done?

Yes! We’re always happy to open that conversation and discuss what’s achievable. We customise products based on designs or pictures that fans share with us. 

Most of the time it will involve pattern customization or painting with specific colours or a design in mind. We can also create fully custom products including sculpting, but to be totally transparent, the cost for this is quite high, so it’s not for everyone.

This is especially popular with cosplayers and the furry community. If there’s a specific ‘character’ that people have in mind we’re always open to hear about how we can make it a reality. If you want a full blue dragon, head-to-toe in silicone, we can try our best to make it happen!

The best way to get in touch is to send us an email, service@smitizen.com, or DM on socials and we can chat about what’s possible.

In terms of examples the best place to see this is our Custom Works section of our site : ) 

That’s great and I think it’s always fascinating seeing what you can bring to life! I know in terms of animals, you’ve made cows, tigers, dogs and even bears! Are there animals you’d like to branch into next?

Sadly we can’t go into too much detail about what we have coming in the works but just know that we’re always trying new things and maybe after a visit to the zoo we’ll have some new inspiration?!

That said, we’re always getting some great suggestions from fans and we’re always open to creating different animal designs. Some carry a bit of difficulty with the limits of silicone. Making a giraffe design for example would be quite challenging! But we always do our best to try.

One final question before we wrap things up, when someone steps into one of your creations, what do you hope stirs inside them at that moment?

We hope they feel transformed. That moment where their fantasies have become real. Staring into the mirror they should feel their own identity replaced with this new character or being. From experience there’s an instant where the silicone feels like it bonds to the skin and what’s left is a reality blur. It’s not just like wearing something, it’s living it. To us that’s where the magic of it all lies.

That’s a really poetic way to put it, from experience I certainly feel that magic take hold when I stare at my reflection in full silicone. Especially when it’s something so vibrant or transformative. A large muscular bull with wide-eyes gazing at this unknown body so far from my own. 

A massive thank you and wishing you guys all the best in the future. I always like to hear from the perspective of makers and creators and really appreciate the genuine discussion and perspective you guys have brought.

If there’s any temptation from this to give silicone a try check out Smitizen.com and give them a follow on socials to keep up to date.