About
Francesca Dani is an Italian travel photographer and erstwhile cosplay legend who burst onto the world stage at the dawn of the millennium. Born on 5 March 1979 in Florence, she initially made headlines for her elaborate costume characters, before redefining herself as a visual narrator with a camera. From 1999 to 2010, she was one of the best‑known faces in global cosplay, beloved for her wide‑eyed, doll‑like appearance and her ability to create incredibly detailed costumes. In 2010, she took a break from full‑time modeling to begin My Bones, a collection of gothic‑themed jewelry, and shortly thereafter redirected her creative passion to night scenes, urban exploration, and aurora photography. Now she guides photo tours in Scandinavia, organizes exhibits throughout Europe, and spreads the word about her passion for abandoned areas and northern lights with a dedicated internet audience.
Before Fame
Long before conventions flew her around the world, Francesca was a self‑taught seamstress who enjoyed building costumes for friends. In November 1998, a buddy persuaded her to enter Lucca Comics & Games—Italy’s largest pop‑culture fair—dressed as Sailor Moon. To her surprise, she won an award, and press coverage from that single appearance sparked a local buzz. Encouraged, she opened a free GeoCities site to post photos, moved to her own domain in 2001, and by April 2002 had converted it into a subscription hub packed with videos and thousands of images; this step funded both travel and new wardrobe pieces.
Television amplified the momentum. On Christmas Day 2002, Nippon TV’s variety show Sekai Marumie, hosted by filmmaker Takeshi Kitano, aired a segment from Florence featuring Francesca as an “internet idol,” giving Japanese viewers a glimpse of European cosplay culture. Three years later, she joined fellow Italians Giorgia Vecchini and the Fata sisters in Nagoya, where the trio won the 2005 World Cosplay Summit—the first year the championship format was introduced. Sponsors noticed: Japanese fashion label Bodyline placed her photos on packaging, while digital distributor Livedoor sold her photobooks. Print magazines from Maxim to niche anime journals ran multi‑page spreads, cementing her status as one of the first true cosplay celebrities.
Trivia
- Self‑made wardrobe: Every costume, from princess gowns to cyber‑punk armor, is her own handiwork. She once said stitching the details felt “as important as wearing the suit.”
- Global road‑warrior: Festival invites have taken her to Mexico, Chile, Brazil, Colombia, Japan, and across Europe; in Bogotá’s SOFA 2009 expo, she was greeted like a rock star.
- DVD time‑capsule: To mark a decade in costume, she produced DNA of Angel, Soul of Devil (2008), a behind‑the‑scenes documentary directed by her partner and long‑time photographer Paolo Cellammare.
- Never fully nude: Though her early pay‑site included risqué lingerie shoots, she has consistently drawn a line at full nudity, citing personal comfort.
- Ghosts of Chernobyl: Her best‑known photography project guides viewers through the abandoned city of Pripyat, using tiny human silhouettes to underscore nature’s scale after disaster. Exhibitions have appeared in Rome, London, Paris, and New York.
- Northern Lights guide: Since 2015, she has organized aurora-chasing tours for Swedish tour operator LappOne, imparting tips on low-light exposure and narrative to small groups of travelers.
- Feline entourage: Off the road, she dotes on several rescue cats, frequent stars of her Instagram stories, and a light‑hearted counterpoint to her moody urbex images.
Family Life
Francesca keeps most relatives out of the spotlight, but interviews reveal a tight bond with her parents, who encouraged both her art schooling and her early experiments with fabric and film. She still calls Florence her home base, crediting the city’s Renaissance architecture for her fascination with texture and light. Romantic life has intertwined with her craft: photographer Paolo Cellammare has been a creative partner—and widely reported companion—for many years, helping film, edit, and market her projects while pursuing his own career. Day‑to‑day, her household menagerie (currently three cats) provides plenty of comic relief between long editing sessions.
Associated With
- Giorgia Vecchini & Livia Fata: Teammates in the historic 2005 World Cosplay Summit victory that catapulted Italy onto the competitive cosplay map.
- Bodyline: Japanese gothic‑Lolita fashion brand that featured her on product packaging, turning convention attendees into customers.
- Paolo Cellammare: Long‑time collaborator whose lens captured many of her signature photo sets and who directed her anniversary documentary.
- Myrtle Sarrosa and other next‑gen cosplayers: Younger artists—including the Filipina star cited by Famous Birthdays—often reference Francesca’s pioneering web presence as inspiration for monetizing their own craft.
