Website developed on behalf of
the Frans Molenaar Foundation
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Design & development
All rights reserved.
The Frans Molenaar Foundation has
sought to identify and mention all rights holders.
@ 2025
Discover the history
Home intro
Website developed on behalf of
the Frans Molenaar Foundation
Copy
Design & development
All rights reserved.
The Frans Molenaar Foundation has
sought to identify and mention all rights holders.
@ 2025
Discover the history
Home intro
Image of
a dress
From his earliest years as a couturier, Frans Molenaar sought the right professional eye to photograph his designs. For him, this encompassed much more than simply capturing good press photos: in the pre-digital era, it was an indispensable PR tool. Molenaar surrounded himself with the crème de la crème of Dutch fashion photography.
Read more >
Image of
a dress
From his earliest years as a couturier, Frans Molenaar sought the right professional eye to photograph his designs. For him, this encompassed much more than simply capturing good press photos: in the pre-digital era, it was an indispensable PR tool.
Molenaar surrounded himself with the crème de la crème of Dutch fashion photography. From the 1960s onward, this flourished, visible through characteristic reportages in iconic magazines like Avenue and, later, BLVD.
Dutch top photographer Paul Huf captures model Sophie van Kleef in a series of early, still fairly traditional Molenaar designs, which exude a casual aesthetic yet also glamour. A combination Huf so loved. Less well-known is his color photo series of Molenaar's 1986 fall collection, in which a kind of Dynasty-esque allure prevails.
George van Herwaarde, a more romantic figurehead of Dutch fashion photography, quickly became one of Molenaar's favorite "house" photographers. Van Herwaarde captured the high-contrast, "soft-edge" designs from 1967-1969 in a contemporary and stimulating way.
The mannequins were flanked by a completely nude male model. At that time, nudity was no obstacle to the photos being printed in various newspapers during reviews of Molenaar's latest collection. Other, later iconic images were also his work, such as the flamboyant minkscapes from the fall of 1977, which Van Herwaarde portrayed with the necessary verve and allure. Van Herwaarde continued to photograph for Molenaar well into the 1980s.
In 1970, Bart van Leeuwen created the masterfully constructed photograph of the "Bascule Dress”, which Molenaar designed with visual artist André Volten. The dress was worn on some of the most distinguished shoulders: those of internationally renowned top model Apollonia van Ravenstein.
In 1992, to celebrate his 25th anniversary, Molenaar enlisted renowned fashion photographer Inez van Lamsweerde. Together with partner and designer Vinoodh Matadin, she vigorously restyled and rejuvenated Molenaar's classic and contemporary designs.
This rigorous approach resulted in a powerful makeover with both a sharp and dark edge, aimed at a younger and broader audience. This lineup demonstrates that Frans Molenaar flawlessly captures the spirit of the times with his photography. As befits a couturier, he orchestrates the image he wants to project to the world.
Credits
Winter 1963-1964
Autumn/Winter 1963-1964
Photo: Paul Huf
Autumn collection 1986
Autumn/Winter 1986-1987
Photo: Paul Huf
1969 - Autumn Collection
Autumn/Winter 1969-1970
Photo: George van Herwaarde
970 - Ball gown or Bascule dress
Collaborative design
Frans Molenaar & André Volten
Photo: Bart van Leeuwen
Spring-summer 1991
Spring/Summer 1991
Photo: Inez van Lamsweerde
Autumn-winter 1993
Autumn/Winter 1993-1994
Photo: Marcel van der Vlugt
Autumn-winter 1969
Autumn/Winter 1969-1970
Photo: George van Herwaarde
1990
Photo: Bert Meijer
Summer 1997
Autumn/Winter 2000-2001
Haute Couture collection
Photo: Sean MacAndrew
Summer 1997
Autumn/Winter 2000-2001
Haute Couture collection
Photo: Sean MacAndrew
1969
Spring/Summer 1969
Photo: George van Herwaarde
Summer 1988
Spring/Summer 1988
Photo: George van Herwaarde
1984
Spring/Summer{
Photo: Frits Schroeder
1995-2000
Spring/Summer 1999
Photo: Chris Hutter
1995-2000
Autumn/Winter 1998-1999
Photo: Chris Hutter
Autumn-winter 2005-2006
Autumn/Winter 2005-2006
Photo: Sean MacAndrew
Autumn-winter 2004-2005
Autumn/Winter 2004-2005
Photo: Sean MacAndrew
Autumn-winter 1995-1996
Autumn/Winter 1995-1996
Haute couture collection
Photo Sean MacAndrew
Autumn-winter 1995-1996
Autumn/Winter 1996-1997
Haute couture collection
Photo Sean MacAndrew
Winter 2001-2002
Autumn/Winter 2001-2002
Sculpture Jan Verschoor
Photo: Martijn van Gelder
Location: Museum Jan van der Togt, Amstelveen
Autumn / spring collection 1975
Spring/Summer 1975
Photo: George van Herwaarde
Autumn / spring collection 1975
Autumn/Winter 1976-1977
Photo: George van Herwaarde
1985-1990
Photo: Inez van Lamsweerde
Summer 1997
Autumn/Winter 1997-1998
Haute Couture collection
Photo: Sean MacAndrew
Spring-summer 1992
Spring/Summer 1992
Photo: Inez van Lamsweerde
Image of
a dress
From his earliest years as a couturier, Frans Molenaar sought the right professional eye to photograph his designs. For him, this encompassed much more than simply capturing good press photos: in the pre-digital era, it was an indispensable PR tool. Molenaar surrounded himself with the crème de la crème of Dutch fashion photography.
Read more >
Image of
a dress
From his earliest years as a couturier, Frans Molenaar sought the right professional eye to photograph his designs. For him, this encompassed much more than simply capturing good press photos: in the pre-digital era, it was an indispensable PR tool.
Molenaar surrounded himself with the crème de la crème of Dutch fashion photography. From the 1960s onward, this flourished, visible through characteristic reportages in iconic magazines like Avenue and, later, BLVD.
Dutch top photographer Paul Huf captures model Sophie van Kleef in a series of early, still fairly traditional Molenaar designs, which exude a casual aesthetic yet also glamour. A combination Huf so loved. Less well-known is his color photo series of Molenaar's 1986 fall collection, in which a kind of Dynasty-esque allure prevails.
George van Herwaarde, a more romantic figurehead of Dutch fashion photography, quickly became one of Molenaar's favorite "house" photographers. Van Herwaarde captured the high-contrast, "soft-edge" designs from 1967-1969 in a contemporary and stimulating way.
The mannequins were flanked by a completely nude male model. At that time, nudity was no obstacle to the photos being printed in various newspapers during reviews of Molenaar's latest collection. Other, later iconic images were also his work, such as the flamboyant minkscapes from the fall of 1977, which Van Herwaarde portrayed with the necessary verve and allure. Van Herwaarde continued to photograph for Molenaar well into the 1980s.
In 1970, Bart van Leeuwen created the masterfully constructed photograph of the "Bascule Dress”, which Molenaar designed with visual artist André Volten. The dress was worn on some of the most distinguished shoulders: those of internationally renowned top model Apollonia van Ravenstein.
In 1992, to celebrate his 25th anniversary, Molenaar enlisted renowned fashion photographer Inez van Lamsweerde. Together with partner and designer Vinoodh Matadin, she vigorously restyled and rejuvenated Molenaar's classic and contemporary designs.
This rigorous approach resulted in a powerful makeover with both a sharp and dark edge, aimed at a younger and broader audience. This lineup demonstrates that Frans Molenaar flawlessly captures the spirit of the times with his photography. As befits a couturier, he orchestrates the image he wants to project to the world.
Credits
Winter 1963-1964
Autumn/Winter 1963-1964
Photo: Paul Huf
Autumn collection 1986
Autumn/Winter 1986-1987
Photo: Paul Huf
1969 - Autumn Collection
Autumn/Winter 1969-1970
Photo: George van Herwaarde
970 - Ball gown or Bascule dress
Collaborative design
Frans Molenaar & André Volten
Photo: Bart van Leeuwen
Spring-summer 1991
Spring/Summer 1991
Photo: Inez van Lamsweerde
Autumn-winter 1993
Autumn/Winter 1993-1994
Photo: Marcel van der Vlugt
Autumn-winter 1969
Autumn/Winter 1969-1970
Photo: George van Herwaarde
1990
Photo: Bert Meijer
Summer 1997
Autumn/Winter 2000-2001
Haute Couture collection
Photo: Sean MacAndrew
Summer 1997
Autumn/Winter 2000-2001
Haute Couture collection
Photo: Sean MacAndrew
1969
Spring/Summer 1969
Photo: George van Herwaarde
Summer 1988
Spring/Summer 1988
Photo: George van Herwaarde
1984
Spring/Summer{
Photo: Frits Schroeder
1995-2000
Spring/Summer 1999
Photo: Chris Hutter
1995-2000
Autumn/Winter 1998-1999
Photo: Chris Hutter
Autumn-winter 2005-2006
Autumn/Winter 2005-2006
Photo: Sean MacAndrew
Autumn-winter 2004-2005
Autumn/Winter 2004-2005
Photo: Sean MacAndrew
Autumn-winter 1995-1996
Autumn/Winter 1995-1996
Haute couture collection
Photo Sean MacAndrew
Autumn-winter 1995-1996
Autumn/Winter 1996-1997
Haute couture collection
Photo Sean MacAndrew
Winter 2001-2002
Autumn/Winter 2001-2002
Sculpture Jan Verschoor
Photo: Martijn van Gelder
Location: Museum Jan van der Togt, Amstelveen
Autumn / spring collection 1975
Spring/Summer 1975
Photo: George van Herwaarde
Autumn / spring collection 1975
Autumn/Winter 1976-1977
Photo: George van Herwaarde
1985-1990
Photo: Inez van Lamsweerde
Summer 1997
Autumn/Winter 1997-1998
Haute Couture collection
Photo: Sean MacAndrew
Spring-summer 1992
Spring/Summer 1992
Photo: Inez van Lamsweerde
Image of
a dress
From his earliest years as a couturier, Frans Molenaar sought the right professional eye to photograph his designs. For him, this encompassed much more than simply capturing good press photos: in the pre-digital era, it was an indispensable PR tool. Molenaar surrounded himself with the crème de la crème of Dutch fashion photography.
Read more >
Image of
a dress
From his earliest years as a couturier, Frans Molenaar sought the right professional eye to photograph his designs. For him, this encompassed much more than simply capturing good press photos: in the pre-digital era, it was an indispensable PR tool.
Molenaar surrounded himself with the crème de la crème of Dutch fashion photography. From the 1960s onward, this flourished, visible through characteristic reportages in iconic magazines like Avenue and, later, BLVD.
Dutch top photographer Paul Huf captures model Sophie van Kleef in a series of early, still fairly traditional Molenaar designs, which exude a casual aesthetic yet also glamour. A combination Huf so loved. Less well-known is his color photo series of Molenaar's 1986 fall collection, in which a kind of Dynasty-esque allure prevails.
George van Herwaarde, a more romantic figurehead of Dutch fashion photography, quickly became one of Molenaar's favorite "house" photographers. Van Herwaarde captured the high-contrast, "soft-edge" designs from 1967-1969 in a contemporary and stimulating way.
The mannequins were flanked by a completely nude male model. At that time, nudity was no obstacle to the photos being printed in various newspapers during reviews of Molenaar's latest collection. Other, later iconic images were also his work, such as the flamboyant minkscapes from the fall of 1977, which Van Herwaarde portrayed with the necessary verve and allure. Van Herwaarde continued to photograph for Molenaar well into the 1980s.
In 1970, Bart van Leeuwen created the masterfully constructed photograph of the "Bascule Dress”, which Molenaar designed with visual artist André Volten. The dress was worn on some of the most distinguished shoulders: those of internationally renowned top model Apollonia van Ravenstein.
In 1992, to celebrate his 25th anniversary, Molenaar enlisted renowned fashion photographer Inez van Lamsweerde. Together with partner and designer Vinoodh Matadin, she vigorously restyled and rejuvenated Molenaar's classic and contemporary designs.
This rigorous approach resulted in a powerful makeover with both a sharp and dark edge, aimed at a younger and broader audience. This lineup demonstrates that Frans Molenaar flawlessly captures the spirit of the times with his photography. As befits a couturier, he orchestrates the image he wants to project to the world.
Credits
Winter 1963-1964
Autumn/Winter 1963-1964
Photo: Paul Huf
Autumn collection 1986
Autumn/Winter 1986-1987
Photo: Paul Huf
1969 - Autumn Collection
Autumn/Winter 1969-1970
Photo: George van Herwaarde
970 - Ball gown or Bascule dress
Collaborative design
Frans Molenaar & André Volten
Photo: Bart van Leeuwen
Spring-summer 1991
Spring/Summer 1991
Photo: Inez van Lamsweerde
Autumn-winter 1993
Autumn/Winter 1993-1994
Photo: Marcel van der Vlugt
Autumn-winter 1969
Autumn/Winter 1969-1970
Photo: George van Herwaarde
1990
Photo: Bert Meijer
Summer 1997
Autumn/Winter 2000-2001
Haute Couture collection
Photo: Sean MacAndrew
Summer 1997
Autumn/Winter 2000-2001
Haute Couture collection
Photo: Sean MacAndrew
1969
Spring/Summer 1969
Photo: George van Herwaarde
Summer 1988
Spring/Summer 1988
Photo: George van Herwaarde
1984
Spring/Summer{
Photo: Frits Schroeder
1995-2000
Spring/Summer 1999
Photo: Chris Hutter
1995-2000
Autumn/Winter 1998-1999
Photo: Chris Hutter
Autumn-winter 2005-2006
Autumn/Winter 2005-2006
Photo: Sean MacAndrew
Autumn-winter 2004-2005
Autumn/Winter 2004-2005
Photo: Sean MacAndrew
Autumn-winter 1995-1996
Autumn/Winter 1995-1996
Haute couture collection
Photo Sean MacAndrew
Autumn-winter 1995-1996
Autumn/Winter 1996-1997
Haute couture collection
Photo Sean MacAndrew
Winter 2001-2002
Autumn/Winter 2001-2002
Sculpture Jan Verschoor
Photo: Martijn van Gelder
Location: Museum Jan van der Togt, Amstelveen
Autumn / spring collection 1975
Spring/Summer 1975
Photo: George van Herwaarde
Autumn / spring collection 1975
Autumn/Winter 1976-1977
Photo: George van Herwaarde
1985-1990
Photo: Inez van Lamsweerde
Summer 1997
Autumn/Winter 1997-1998
Haute Couture collection
Photo: Sean MacAndrew
Spring-summer 1992
Spring/Summer 1992
Photo: Inez van Lamsweerde
