How happy I am to receive sometimes a tip (thanks Brenda) about a special address. Otherwise, I might not have discovered this store yet. Just behind the Noordermarkt in Amsterdam, in the Lindenstraat at number 1 is Antonia No1. The owner is Anja Henneman, former (photo) model, she has worked for couturier Frans Molenaar for over 30 years.
Model
Anja: “When I was 21 I lived and worked as a model in Paris and ran big shows for Jean Paul Gaultier and Vivienne Westwood among others. I was asked by Frans Molenaar to run in his couture shows, which I did for 30 years. We were preparing his 100th show in 2015 when Frans suddenly died. If one works together for so long, a special bond is created, so I’m glad that I can now sell his clothes and accessories. With a leather jacket or leggings, you can create a bit more casual look.”
“Style is timeless. Everything in my store is special, authentic and tells a story. That’s why I love desing so much.”
Accessoires
Anja: “The designs of Frans are still very wearable, especially in combination with for example a cool jacket or boots. And a suit that Frans did not see as a wedding suit, can now be worn very well for such an occasion.These boots are by Rebootz. Designer Annemaire van Zuilen uses worn motor clothing for her boots and are handmade in Italy,
Lamps
“In addition to clothing and small furniture, such as side tables, I also sell dusk lamps and loose covers, which I can coat at the customer’s choice. Marcel Altenberg, who is responsible for visual merchandising, is already busy with our new webshop. Soon sale will start online, Marcel is busy making photos for the webshop.”
There are also many photos in the store, a selection of personal photos by Frans Molenaar and Anja as a model. I love the timeless black/white suit in pied-de-poule check. By the way, the jacket with the big studs is also beautiful and very good to combine with. In short, a store to remember when visiting Amsterdam!
