Dutch couturier Frans Molenaar has died at the age of 74. Molenaar fell down some stairs last month and died as a result of his injuries, the Telegraaf says on Monday.

Molenaar broke several ribs in the fall, his assistant told the paper. He died on January 9.

The designer was also admitted to hospital last summer when he was given a replacement hip, the paper says.

Molenaar studied to become a tailor in the 1950s and went on to work with Charles Mongtaigne and Gerrd Pipart at Nina Ricci in the early 1960s.

He opened his first shop on the Van Baerlestraat in Amsterdam in 1967 and went on to design glassware, bikes, glasses and a version of the Ford Ka as well as clothing.

Knighted in 1995, Molenaar launched his own award, the Frans Molenaar Prijs, for young fashion talent. His customers included Dutch royalty and film stars, and he was a gossip column regular. This year he would have presented his 100th collection.