I'm a big fan of Creepyyeha both the company and the personality. I originally reviewed one of her garter designs way back in the early days of OLAL and more recently i reviewed the Ravish Me set, a staple part of my wardrobe. I've taken great pleasure in seeing her designs become ever increasingly daring and innovative over the years. Her choice to work with leather and chunky hardware is an inspired move and it sets her a cut above all the rest. It's almost guaranteed that her collections will be gloriously fresh and exciting, so it's no surprise that she tops my list of favourite lingerie brands. And that's even without considering her impeccable customer service.
The second time i tried on my Uri bra, the hook in the back broke. For all three pieces, the major clasp is a sturdy, metal hook. However the weight in the front of my bra and the tension in the elastic strapping must've exceeded the tensile strength of the hook and alas, with a ping, half of the hook was across the room. Mortified, i immediately emailed Creepyyeha to notify her of what had happened and to ask if there was anything we could do to fix it. Less than an hour later, we'd already sorted out a solution and had a plan of action. I sent the bra back (Creepyyeha offered to reimburse me for shipping) and it arrived, all fixed and ready to wear (with the sweetest little note) less than two weeks later (which considering international shipping takes up to 2 weeks is ridiculously fast!)
Something i took away from this was not only how lovely Creepyyeha was as a person behind the brand, but also her passion for her designs. In our original correspondence, she expressed thanks that i had made her aware of the fault, offered explanations as to why the hook maybe wasn't suitable for the design and quickly considered an alternative clasp. It's easy to forget that with lingerie designs that are so innovative and almost engineered, that sometimes there are minor flaws in designs that wouldn't be noticed without regular wear on different bodies to highlight them. Creepyyeha cares so much about her customers and the integrity of designs that she understands this and is more than happy to work with her customers to adjust the products to rectify any issues quickly. We live in a world of fast fashion, where it's easy to pick up discounted lingerie from an Agent Provocateur sale or from the highstreet and be several shades removed from the people constructing our garments. It's also so easy to forget that in our favourite indie brands, there's usually one (or very few) persons designing, sourcing, constructing and shipping every item, and that same person is also responsible for maintaining a storefront, social media presence, and customer relations. I see so many people berating the price or wait for Creepyyeha items, even those going as far as buying cheap copies of her designs, but at this point, after this experience, i feel this is wholly unjustifiable. The amount of work, love and passion she puts into her business (and the toll that must take on her personal life) is reflected in the price of each item. So i'm a big supporter who intends to put her money where her mouth is, but i'm also comfortable knowing that it may take me a while to save up to do that (especially now i'm sans job).
I'm going to discuss each item in the Uri set separately because boy, there's a lot of design to talk through.
(Also apologies for the slight out of focus nature of these images, beau is a fantastic novice photographer when it comes to framing and angles but autofocus and him do not get along. We're working on it and he really did a fabulous job in all other respects.)
The Uri bra with it's new modified clasp is damn sturdy. The front is made of 8 separate straps joined by buckles at a central gore. As with all these pieces, the Uri bra is made to the measurements you provide but there's also sliders on each of the 8 side straps and the 2 straps that make up the band. I like to have all the straps as tight as possible to keep everything in place (which may have been a contributing factor to breaking the original hook clasp). The hardware is huge and chunky so this is a heavy bra. I always find when i put it on for the first time, my nipples (in particular my piercings) generally don't want to play ball and it can feel a bit uncomfortable. But a bit of adjustment, i.e. pushing my nipples closer to the gore, keeps my tits in place and with no discomfort. Maybe not a bra to wear for extremely long periods of time due to the weight but i find i'm good to go for 6-ish hours. If i do feel concerned about any daily movement and the toll it could have on my nipples, this piece goes nicely over a bandeau for piercing safety, but it would also be really perfect as outerwear over a sheer top (something dreamed up by Vicky of The Lingeristas, she's one smart cookie).
I picked up the Uri belt for a 23-24 inch waist. Mine oscillates around 24" and it's a great fit. My waist is particularly fleshy so i always opt for a slightly smaller fit anyway. I've worn this as a belt with my tennis skirts a lot since it arrived and it's perfect. The back of the belt has elastic strapping attached to chunky metal rings and fastened by a large metal hook. There's adjustable sliders on the elastic as well, just in case you're like me and you wear your belts both next to skin and on top of layers of jumpers.
The Uri Bottom Frame is a feat of engineering. With two big buckles at the front, smaller buckles making up the leg straps and a really cute cross design in the back (which i didn't get a photo of because i'm a terrible scatter brain but you can see on the product page) it's as complex as it is beautiful. There are 4 adjustable elastic straps in the back and the whole thing fastens with a hook. I have no worries about this hook standing the test of time as there's very little strain on it, it's really there just to give a little more space when taking the garment off and on. The leg straps also attach to o-rings with little clips and i've yet to figure out what else i can clip them to to make this the perfect, versatile layering piece. But i will, mark my words! Considering the amount of hardware on this piece, it's surprisingly light. I mean it's not feather light but it's comfortable and wearable and doesn't feel like you're wearing a whole bunch of metal on your hips.
I think it's safe to say that i'm impressed with the construction and quality of these pieces. Everything has been well thought out, even down to the brand name being engraved on the metal tips of each buckle strap. The faux leather is soft and of high quality (no unpleasant, cheap looking vinyl finish here) and the nickel hardware is hardy and untarnished. Each strap has been placed in the exact right position, at the right angle and every strap that you would need to be adjustable in size, is just that. All the elastic used is satin finished and therefore doesn't chafe (watch out for cheap knock offs, bad elastic can cause lacerations to your skin).
Of course i have a private pinterest wishlist filled with the Creepyyeha designs i need to own in the future, and i have my eyes on a Sui set in white for whenever i next have an income (or a relative dies, or beau feels like parting with his hard earned cash). If there were ever a lingerie embodiment of my hopes and dreams then you can bet your bottom dollar it would look like the Creepyyeha storefront. So hopefully this review inspires more to save up for her designs AND remain vigilant in not supporting those who make money off of copies.