Fong-Leng & Fans – 60 years of Fashion & Fame
Until April 6, 2026, Museum JAN will present Fong-Leng & Fans – 60 Years of Fashion & Fame. This exhibition highlights the influence and significance of the colorful, multidisciplinary fashion designer and artist Fong-Leng. For sixty years, she has been a unique player in the Dutch fashion and design world; an icon who continues to inspire new generations of creators to this day.
Fans of her extravagant creations
Fong-Leng (1937) is known nationally and internationally for her flamboyant designs: dresses and coats made of leather, silk, and fur, decorated with appliqués of exotic animals and plants. She made her breakthrough in the 1970s with her extravagant creations, which were worn by celebrities such as Mathilde Willink and singer Kate Bush. Her idiosyncratic work and personality have attracted a large fan base and remain a source of inspiration even sixty years later. In this exhibition, Museum JAN gives these admirers a platform to showcase the power and uniqueness of her work and her place in the Dutch fashion landscape.
Source of inspiration for today's designers
Fong-Leng is an important source of inspiration for contemporary fashion designers such as Ronald van der Kemp (RVDK), Bas Kosters, and Mattijs van Bergen. They say they have been influenced by her choice of materials, use of color, and distinctive style. Younger couturiers such as Tess van Zalinge and David Laport also show a clear parallel with Fong-Leng's work in their love of craftsmanship and pleating. Fashion label Atelier Reservé, which designs clothing for a broad and diverse audience, also engages in a beautiful dialogue with her work in terms of theme and use of color.
The exhibition displays designs by all these creators alongside Fong-Leng's own work. This emphasizes the timeless relevance of her exuberant style—especially at a time when identity and self-expression through clothing are hot topics in society.
New textile paintings in a reconstruction of her living room
To this day, Fong-Leng remains productive, creating wall objects from materials such as leather, suede, silk, and fur. Her signature style is clearly recognizable in these works, which feature many exotic animal figures, reflecting her Chinese background. Part of her imaginative, colorful world has been reconstructed especially for the exhibition at Museum JAN. Visitors can literally step into her living room, where new textile paintings that have never before been shown to the public are on display.
Collaboration with Museum MORE
The exhibition at Museum JAN was curated by guest curator and fashion journalist Lisa Goudsmit.
This project is a unique collaboration with Museum MORE | Ruurlo Castle. From November 21, 2025, to June 28, 2026, Kasteel Ruurlo will focus on the work from the 1970s and the iconic relationship between Fong-Leng and Mathilde Willink. In addition to their extensive collection of Fong-Leng creations, Museum MORE will display new images by fashion photographer Ferry van der Nat, which underscore the timeless power of her fashion.
A joint publication has been released to accompany these exhibitions, published by Waanders Publishers.
Image credits
Above, from left to right:
Studio Ferry van der Nat, Leopard coat with corset by Fong-Leng, 1982. Published in Dapper Dan magazine 28, fall/winter 2023.
Studio Ferry van der Nat, two-piece satin ensemble by Fong-Leng, 1977. Published in Dapper Dan magazine 28, fall/winter 2023.
Portrait of Fong-Leng, 2025, photographed by Eddy Wenting.
Below, from left to right:
Portrait of Fong-Leng, 2025, photographed by Eddy Wenting.
Fong-Leng, The Ancestors, mixed media with leather, suede, and fur, 2015–2025, Fong-Leng Collection.
Fong-Leng, wool coat with gold leather, Italian silk lining, 2012, Fong-Leng collection, photographed by Paul van Riel.