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
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
1963 – Couture collection
Autumn/Winter 1963-1964
Photo: Paul Huf
986 – Couture collection
Autumn/Winter 1986-1987
Photo: Paul Huf
1969 – Couture collection 1969 – Couture 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
1991 – Couture collection 1991 – Couture collection
Spring/Summer 1991
Photo: Inez van Lamsweerde
1993 – Couture collection
Autumn/Winter 1993-1994
Photo: Marcel van der Vlugt
1969 – Couture collection
Autumn/Winter 1969-1970
Photo: George van Herwaarde
1990 – Couture collection
Photo: Bert Meijer
2000 - Couture collection
Autumn/Winter 2000-2001
Haute Couture collection
Photo: Sean MacAndrew
2000 - Couture collection
Autumn/Winter 2000-2001
Haute Couture collection
Photo: Sean MacAndrew
1969 - Couture collection
Spring/Summer 1969
Photo: George van Herwaarde
1988 - Couture collection
Spring/Summer 1988
Photo: George van Herwaarde
1984 - Couture collection
Spring/Summer{
Photo: Frits Schroeder
1999 - Couture collection
Spring/Summer 1999
Photo: Chris Hutter
1998 - Couture collection
Autumn/Winter 1998-1999
Photo: Chris Hutter
2005 – Couture collection
Autumn/Winter 2005-2006
Photo: Sean MacAndrew
2004 – Couture collection
Autumn/Winter 2004-2005
Photo: Sean MacAndrew
1995 - Couture collection
Autumn/Winter 1995-1996
Photo Sean MacAndrew
1996 – Couture collection
Autumn/Winter 1996-1997
Photo Sean MacAndrew
2001 - Couture collection
Autumn/Winter 2001-2002
Sculpture Jan Verschoor
Photo: Martijn van Gelder
Location: Museum Jan van der Togt, Amstelveen
1975 – Couture collection
Spring/Summer 1975
Photo: George van Herwaarde
1976 - Couture collection
Autumn/Winter 1976-1977
Photo: George van Herwaarde
1989 – Couture collection
Photo: Inez van Lamsweerde
1997 – Couture collection
Autumn/Winter 1997-1998
Photo: Sean MacAndrew
1992 - Couture collection
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
1963 – Couture collection
Autumn/Winter 1963-1964
Photo: Paul Huf
986 – Couture collection
Autumn/Winter 1986-1987
Photo: Paul Huf
1969 – Couture collection 1969 – Couture 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
1991 – Couture collection 1991 – Couture collection
Spring/Summer 1991
Photo: Inez van Lamsweerde
1993 – Couture collection
Autumn/Winter 1993-1994
Photo: Marcel van der Vlugt
1969 – Couture collection
Autumn/Winter 1969-1970
Photo: George van Herwaarde
1990 – Couture collection
Photo: Bert Meijer
2000 - Couture collection
Autumn/Winter 2000-2001
Haute Couture collection
Photo: Sean MacAndrew
2000 - Couture collection
Autumn/Winter 2000-2001
Haute Couture collection
Photo: Sean MacAndrew
1969 - Couture collection
Spring/Summer 1969
Photo: George van Herwaarde
1988 - Couture collection
Spring/Summer 1988
Photo: George van Herwaarde
1984 - Couture collection
Spring/Summer{
Photo: Frits Schroeder
1999 - Couture collection
Spring/Summer 1999
Photo: Chris Hutter
1998 - Couture collection
Autumn/Winter 1998-1999
Photo: Chris Hutter
2005 – Couture collection
Autumn/Winter 2005-2006
Photo: Sean MacAndrew
2004 – Couture collection
Autumn/Winter 2004-2005
Photo: Sean MacAndrew
1995 - Couture collection
Autumn/Winter 1995-1996
Photo Sean MacAndrew
1996 – Couture collection
Autumn/Winter 1996-1997
Photo Sean MacAndrew
2001 - Couture collection
Autumn/Winter 2001-2002
Sculpture Jan Verschoor
Photo: Martijn van Gelder
Location: Museum Jan van der Togt, Amstelveen
1975 – Couture collection
Spring/Summer 1975
Photo: George van Herwaarde
1976 - Couture collection
Autumn/Winter 1976-1977
Photo: George van Herwaarde
1989 – Couture collection
Photo: Inez van Lamsweerde
1997 – Couture collection
Autumn/Winter 1997-1998
Photo: Sean MacAndrew
1992 - Couture collection
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
1963 – Couture collection
Autumn/Winter 1963-1964
Photo: Paul Huf
986 – Couture collection
Autumn/Winter 1986-1987
Photo: Paul Huf
1969 – Couture collection 1969 – Couture 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
1991 – Couture collection 1991 – Couture collection
Spring/Summer 1991
Photo: Inez van Lamsweerde
1993 – Couture collection
Autumn/Winter 1993-1994
Photo: Marcel van der Vlugt
1969 – Couture collection
Autumn/Winter 1969-1970
Photo: George van Herwaarde
1990 – Couture collection
Photo: Bert Meijer
2000 - Couture collection
Autumn/Winter 2000-2001
Haute Couture collection
Photo: Sean MacAndrew
2000 - Couture collection
Autumn/Winter 2000-2001
Haute Couture collection
Photo: Sean MacAndrew
1969 - Couture collection
Spring/Summer 1969
Photo: George van Herwaarde
1988 - Couture collection
Spring/Summer 1988
Photo: George van Herwaarde
1984 - Couture collection
Spring/Summer{
Photo: Frits Schroeder
1999 - Couture collection
Spring/Summer 1999
Photo: Chris Hutter
1998 - Couture collection
Autumn/Winter 1998-1999
Photo: Chris Hutter
2005 – Couture collection
Autumn/Winter 2005-2006
Photo: Sean MacAndrew
2004 – Couture collection
Autumn/Winter 2004-2005
Photo: Sean MacAndrew
1995 - Couture collection
Autumn/Winter 1995-1996
Photo Sean MacAndrew
1996 – Couture collection
Autumn/Winter 1996-1997
Photo Sean MacAndrew
2001 - Couture collection
Autumn/Winter 2001-2002
Sculpture Jan Verschoor
Photo: Martijn van Gelder
Location: Museum Jan van der Togt, Amstelveen
1975 – Couture collection
Spring/Summer 1975
Photo: George van Herwaarde
1976 - Couture collection
Autumn/Winter 1976-1977
Photo: George van Herwaarde
1989 – Couture collection
Photo: Inez van Lamsweerde
1997 – Couture collection
Autumn/Winter 1997-1998
Photo: Sean MacAndrew
1992 - Couture collection
Spring/Summer 1992
Photo: Inez van Lamsweerde
