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| Featured Designer |
| Rachel Franzen has been a busy lady over the past few years. She has moved from Canberra Australia to Dubai in the UAE, Muscat in Oman, Moscow in Russia and is now back in Dubai, UAE. All the while she is spreading her love of Irish dancing and Irish dresses around the world. |
| Did you learn Irish dancing as a child?
Yes, I started when I was 5 years old. My mum started taking my twin sister and I to Irish Dancing classes because they were close to our house. My sister gave up dancing after a year or so because she didn’t enjoy it. |
| What was the name of your dance school?
My first Irish dancing teacher was Liz Gregory. I danced with her for about 5 or 6 years, but she stopped teaching when she had children. For the next few years I danced with Kathryn Trenholme (a previous featured designer on this site). When I was about 14, Kathryn moved overseas for a short-term posting. By that time Liz Gregory had started teaching again, so I went back to her. I was very lucky to have two wonderful teachers. Both have completely different styles so I was able to learn (in terms of both dancing and teaching) from both of them. |
| When new students come to your school what is their experience of ID? eg, riverdance DVD, TV, have they actually seen ID before?
Shows such as Riverdance and Lord of the Dance are usually what encouraged my students to search for Irish dance classes in the beginning. When I arrived in Moscow, I started teaching a class that had already been working with Therese Rooney 2 or 3 times a year for a couple of years. Most of them had done some grade exams and their standard was quite good. I also teach a class for children at the Anglo-American School. Most of those children are expats and some have experienced Irish dancing in their home country. On the first weekend in December, I took 8 Russian dancers to the Mainland Europe Oireachtas/Feis in Holland. It was their first feis and they are all hooked now! They’re already talking about the next 3 feisanna that they want to go to! |
| Do you still dance?
Hmmm… well, I’m 6 months pregnant at the moment so not really! I am still teaching classes though. I got my TCRG in 2004 and I am currently teaching in Moscow, Russia. My school is called the Franzen-Rooney School of Irish Dance, and I run it together with Therese Rooney TCRG from Dublin who travels to Moscow 2 or 3 times a year (and who has a lot more teaching experience than me!). |
| Did you know that while over 200+ dresses have been made using the designs from Colleens' of Canberra very few donations have been received. If you use these designs please consider making a donation to help keep this website operational. |
| Have you taught in other countries? Before I moved to Russia I was living in Muscat, Oman (in the Middle East next to Yemen, Saudi Arabia and the UAE). I got my TCRG while I was living there and I was teaching at the same time. Before Oman, I lived and taught Irish dancing in Dubai, UAE and I was a teacher’s assistant with Liz Gregory in Canberra, Australia. My husband, Chris, is a manager with an international hotel chain and gets transferred to different locations around the world every 2 years or so. Hopefully I’ll have the privilege of introducing Irish dancing to many far-flung places around the globe in the future. |
| 13/01/06 |
| Are parents reluctant?
Not that I’ve noticed. I have quite a few adult dancers, and of course their parent’s attitude to Irish dancing doesn’t really come into the picture. With the children that I teach, I think the parents are excited that their children have the opportunity to do such a great activity in Moscow. |
| How do you manage with the language barrier?
Good question… I don’t speak much Russian (yet), so thankfully my adult dancers speak enough English to get by. There is always a lot of translating going on in class as some understand more than others. So far I only have one Russian child dancer and he comes to the same class as some adults so they are able to translate for him. He learns English at school so he knows a bit (more than he lets on I think!). My dancers have taught me some Russian words, and so far they’re all dance-related words. Left = Lievaya, Right = Pravaya, Foot = Naga, 1-8 = raz, dva, tree, chetyrie, pyat, shest, sem, vosem (I don’t know 9 & 10!). |
| Do you make dresses too?
Yes, I do. |
| Where do you buy fabrics from?
Where ever I find good stuff! I often buy something good when I see it, or I order online from the US or UK. |
| What sort of fabrics can you buy in Russia/Oman?
I found a treasure trove about 6 months before I left Oman. I stocked up a bit and am now using up some of the fabrics from my stash. Oman has a lot of those little fabric stores which are a complete mess inside, but contain some real bargains once you start looking. I found a lot of interesting, patterned, sequined fabrics there. So far I have found a couple of good fabric stores in Moscow, but they are quite pricey. One of the stores specializes in ballroom dance and ice skating costumes so they have some nice glitzy fabrics, especially lycras. |
| How long have you been designing Irish Dance Dresses?
The first time I drew a complete dress design from scratch would have been about 7 or 8 years ago, but I always used to take the designs my mum had bought and change them. |
| What made you first decide to design a dress? A customer wanted a primary level dress, she didn’t want to pay much, and wanted to save money on the design, so I decided to draw something simple myself. After that I thought, “why spend money on buying a design from someone else if I’m just going to change it anyway?” So I started drawing my own designs from scratch. |
| When do you find time to design?
Design ideas are always being formed in the back of my head, sometimes I just have to wait for a chance to sit down at the computer, or with a pencil and paper. When do I get a chance to sit down at the computer? Whenever my husband isn’t using it! |
| How long does it take to draw a design?
It depends… if I have a clear idea of what I want to draw, it can be quite quick to draw it out – perhaps 2-3 hours. But usually I end up messing around with the design a bit, changing things here and there so it takes a bit longer. |
| How does your design process work?
If I’m doing my design on the computer, I start by opening my dress outline template, then go for it. I like using the computer to draw these modern style designs with repeated shapes. I’ll often draw the shape and save it as a separate file, then copy and paste it as many times as necessary onto my dress template. If I’m drawing a design on paper, I like to use grid paper. I start by tracing the template onto the paper, then I mark the centre line, and go from there. Sometimes I draw one side, and then trace it onto the other side of the template to make sure it’s even. I hate seeing designs where it’s meant to be symmetrical and it’s not. In the last couple of months I’ve been doing some substitute teaching at an International School here in Moscow. I carry a notebook (of grid paper – most European School notebooks have gridlines in them instead of just horizontal lines like we have in Australia), pencil and eraser in my handbag, and I take them out during free periods. |
| Do you have a routine for designing? eg in the evening in front of the TV???
I find that the TV distracts me when I’m designing. Since moving to Moscow, I haven’t been working full time (due to the pending baby), so I have a lot more time for designing. |
| Under what circumstances do you feel you create your best designs?
I have to be in the mood, otherwise it just doesn’t work. Apart from that, I like peace and quiet, plenty of light, and all my equipment/supplies (computer, software, printer, scanner, grid paper, pencil, eraser, 1GB thumb drive where all my designs are saved) on hand. |
| What or who has been your inspiration?
My mum, Shirley Capon, was the one who inspired me to start sewing dresses, and my little brother Anthony, was the one who inspired me to start designing them. Anthony is an amazing artist. Unfortunately he’s not doing many ID dress designs these days as he’s just graduated from Fashion Design School and he’s starting his career in the fashion industry. |
| What do you enjoy most about designing dresses?
Seeing the finished product, and hearing positive feedback from the customer. |
| Do you have any favourite designs?
The one I’m working on at the moment. But I’m planning to make this one into a dress myself, so I’m sure I’ll be sick of it by the time the dress is made! |
| How many designs have you created (that have been used)?
Hmmm… I started numbering them a couple of years ago, and I’m up to about 50 now. Some, especially the early ones, have never been seen by anyone else, let alone used – and it will stay that way! This count doesn’t include the ones never made it into the computer, and thus never got numbered. That’s a very difficult question Colleen! Sometimes I sell designs, but never get to see the finished product. I love seeing photos of my designs once they’re made up, so if you buy a design from me, please, I’d love to see a photo! I think that goes for most other designers too. |
| Do you use computer programs to help you draw?
Yes, definitely. I have three programs that I use, Ulead PhotoImpact, Jasc Paint Shop Pro, and Adobe Photoshop. I like different features in each of them. |
| How do you find out what kind of designs your customer wants - how best can they relate that to you?
Some customers like to do a sketch, others see a previous design of mine that they like and ask for something in the same style. Still others try to describe what they want in words, i.e. modern, traditional, geometric, etc. I don’t mind which way customers get the message through to me. |
| What is the best way for people to contact you in regards to having a design drawn?
Send me an email: rachelannefranzen@hotmail.com |
| Which country do you sell most designs to?
Proportionally there are more Irish dancers living in North America, so I would say I get most of my orders from there, although I sell quite a few to Australians as well, especially dancers from my old dancing school. |
| How has designing dresses changed during the time you have been designing?
The fashions have changed a lot and as a result my dress template is constantly changing. In the beginning I always designed with pencil/pen on paper. Now I usually use the computer. |
| Funny design stories?
I like to think that people don’t laugh at my designs, I prefer reactions of delight! ;-) |
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| Wow! Thanks Rachel for two new gorgeous designs! |
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| Thanks Rachel for providing a coloured sample as well. Coloured samples really do help us visualise the design a lot better. |
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| Once again ... coloured examples. You can't tell here but in the larger JPEG that Rachel sent through the grey in this coloured picture was actually silver fishscale - and it looked very pretty. |
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| Rachel recognises that girls like different shapes on their dresses and has provided some lovely variations! Thanks Rachel! |
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| Hi, I'm Rachel, the international dressmaker, designer and TCRG! You would
be forgiven for forgetting which country I live in as I'm finding it hard to
keep up with myself. My husband and I have been in Moscow, Russia for the
last five months, but we've just been advised that we're to be transferred back
to Dubai this month. All this moving is due to my husband's career in the
hotel industry. It makes it hard to establish a dancing school, but I do
the best I can, and thankfully my sewing machine doesn't mind what country
it's in so I can keep up with the dressmaking!
I would like to take this opportunity to thank my mum, Shirley Capon for passing on her love of costume designing and sewing to me, and for taking my sister and I to our first Irish Dance class when we were five years old. My husband, Chris, and I are expecting our first child (a daughter) at the end of March and I hope I can pass on the same love of Irish dancing and dressmaking to her. |
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| Fiona, Martin and Rachel - ready to go to a Feis - a few years ago now!!! |
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| A group of Russian dancers at the Feis nah Eorpa in Holland on 3-4 December 2005 |
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| Hannah Stewart. One of Rachel's students from Muscat wearing a dress Rachel made and designed especially for Hannah at the European Championships in Spain during 2005. |
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| Two of Rachel's happy dancers from Muscat showing off their medals after the class feis. |
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| Rachel in front of the Fairy Tale Pond in Moscow. The statues are all images from Russian fairy tales. |
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| Rachel and husband Chris at the entrance of the Park Hyatt in Moscow December 2005 |
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| Rachel and twin sister Fiona preparing for a tour of the mosque in Muscat Oman. |
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| Husband Chris and Rachel in the Jabal Akhdar Mountains in Oman |
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| Says Colleen "I've saved the best photo to last!!!!" This is Rachel and Chris' soon to be daughter. Of course when is the best date for a TCRG's baby due to be born - no not 2 January of course it is around St Patrick's Day!!! |
| HELP!!!!!! When I first started the Featured Designer Page I deleted the first couple. I have retrieved Kay McKay's page but I need help to get a copy of Liz Davis' page. If anyone out there has printed it off or saved it on their computer, please, please, please send me a copy!!!! |
| What is the best way for people to contact you about an original dress design? It's best to email me. Click here to email Rachel |
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