Interview with Cosplayer Franidesu
Interview Conducted by Aesthel
The Cosplay Realm team spoke with cosplayer Franidesu about the making of her Byleth cosplay, her start in the cosplay world, and her personal fashion aesthetics!
Follow Franidesu on Instagram!
CRM: Hello Franidesu! Could you please introduce yourself to the Cosplay Realm readers?
Frani: Hi! I’m Frani and I’m a cosplayer on the east coast! I really like the color pink and I play too many video games. My favorites are League of Legends and Stardew Valley! I cosplay mostly anime and video game characters.
CRM: How long have you been cosplaying for? How did you first start learning to craft and make your own cosplays?
Frani: I’ve been cosplaying since 2014, but only really got involved in 2016! Initially, I bought all of my cosplays as I never imagined I would make my own cosplays.
I first started learning to make my cosplays from watching youtube videos! I got a basic sewing machine for Christmas in 2016 and my first successful cosplay from scratch was Fujimiya Sakura’s Maid outfit from Battle Girl High School!
Now, I make most of my cosplays as I enjoy the grind! My next big project is Prestige Battle Academia Lux from League of Legends!
Character: Female Byleth from Fire Emblem Three Houses.
Photographer: @photobaeee
CRM: You mentioned that you handmade your Byleth cosplay from Fire Emblem: Three Houses! This cosplay can be a pretty big project, especially with the armor pieces and Sword of the Creator. Can you walk us through the process behind this cosplay?
Frani: For sure! Initially, I did not think Byleth would be too hard to make, but as I progressed through her outfit three weeks before Katsucon, that quickly changed. I have my progress photos saved as a highlight on my instagram story! For me, armor making is the easiest compared to sewing, so I started with the armor. I looked up a bunch of photos of artwork and in-game models and referenced some videos by Alice Loneunicorn on Youtube. I made the shorts out of a pattern I had, and my boot covers were made after making a template based on my leg. The shoulder armor and chest plate were definitely the hardest! I wasted a lot of material experimenting on it, but I eventually figured it out after looking at @semecostumes progress! The top and jacket was also a bit of trial and error with scrap fabrics. I made a pattern for the top using the shrink wrap and masking tape method as it was a tightly fit top.
As for the Sword of the Creator, I bought it 3D printed raw by Budget3DProps on Etsy! It was my first time working with a 3D printed prop and I had to learn a lot about filler primer and sanding.
CRM: Your first playthrough of Three Houses started with the Blue Lions! Is this your favorite house still?
Frani: Yes! I still really love Blue Lions! I finished Golden Deer as well, but I haven’t gotten a chance to start up a Church of Seiros/Black Eagles run yet. Blue Lions student designs were my favorite and I only fell more in love after getting to know them during my play through. Dimitri is number one husband!
CRM: Fire Emblem: Three Houses is known for its many different ways to play through the story, with each perspective revealing something new about the world. What do you think it is about this game that has resonated with so many different people?
Frani: I think the students and their character development is definitely a reason my friends and I love the game so much. Each character is so easy to love. The game also portrays some personality disorders quite accurately and we all live for representation. The character designs are also impeccable! The outfits are detailed yet realistic enough for cosplayers to replicate.
CRM: What is it about Byleth as a character that drew you to wanting to cosplay her?
Frani: I fell in love with Byleth’s character design when I first got the game. There are a bunch of people who don’t like it because it’s not “professor-appropriate”, but she was a mercenary first. I also tend to cosplay apathetic characters and so the combination of the two made me really interested in making her outfit!
Character: Female Byleth from Fire Emblem Three Houses.
Photographer: @photobaeee
CRM: Besides Fire Emblem, you have many many other cosplays that you wear! We particularly love your cosplays from League of Legends! When you play League what are your favorite roles or characters to play as? What is it that keeps you coming back to cosplay more characters and skins from this game?
Frani: I mainly play mid or bot lane! My favorite characters are Diana and Lux. I’ve been trying to learn jungle because in my last tournament, a lot of the team’s junglers weren’t jungle mains. I have so many plans to cosplay league because their skin concepts keep on impressing me. They release new content every few weeks and I just keep getting more and more impressed with the ideas they come up with!
Character: Star Guardian Janna from League of Legends
Cosplay: Uwowo, crown is handmade
Photographer: @ichirakuphotography
CRM: Speaking of video games, you also have a Twitch channel! What has your experience streaming on Twitch been like?
Frani: I haven’t streamed in awhile but it was really fun when I did! I liked talking to my viewers since I always have a lot to say while gaming. I have plans to start up streaming again in the near future!
CRM: You’ve also done a few cosplays from Love Live! These characters are always so cute! What are some of your favorite things about the Love Live series?
Frani: I’m definitely a fan of the reoccurring friendship theme! It’s very pure and wholesome and makes me tear up everytime. I also really like the outfit designs! Everything is so intricate and beautiful.
Character: Peach (Twitter @edenrozee’s design)
Photographer: IG: @vulpeculaphotography FB: VulpeculaStars Cosplay and Photography
CRM: Outside of cosplay, we really love your fashion style! What are some of your influences when it comes to your personal style?
Frani: Aw thank you! I’m definitely influenced by the hime gyaru style and sweet lolita! My favorite colors are pastel pink and white, and so a lot of my outfits are those colors! My favorite brands are LizLisa and Ank Rouge.
CRM: Do you think your personal taste influences the types of characters you like to cosplay?
Frani: Definitely! I have an affinity for characters with a pink aesthetic, but that doesn’t mean I won’t cosplay characters that aren’t pink. I prefer more modest cosplays, but that makes me respect risque cosplayers all the more!
CRM: You posted on your Instagram recently about your Anime Boston plans. We hope to see you there! What are some other upcoming conventions or cosplay plans that you have?
Frani: In addition to Anime Boston, I’m going to Otakon in July and potentially MAGfest! My next big cosplan is Prestige Battle Academia Lux! I plan on making her staff along with her outfit.
CRM: Thanks for taking the time to answer our questions! Is there anything else that you would like to say to the Cosplay Realm readers?
Frani: I’d like to say thank you for reading through this and supporting me! I definitely get more inspired when I see that people like my work! Just like other cosplayers, I started out not knowing where to begin, but once I started taking more risks, my skills grew and now I’m more confident in what I do.
Follow Franidesu to see more of their cosplays!
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/franidesu
Twitch: https://www.twitch.tv/fraanii
Ko-Fi: https://ko-fi.com/franidesu