There are brands that make wedding dresses. And then there are brands that make history.
As 2026 marks the 80th anniversary of Modeca Bridal, the Dutch label founded in the small eastern Netherlands city of Oldenzaal has grown from a family shop into a global name, surviving post-war austerity, the rise and fall of fashion trends and the profound shifts of the global marketplace, all while remaining faithful to a single, beautiful purpose: making every bride look and feel extraordinary on the most important day of her life.
Eight decades. Over 100,000 brides. More than 70 countries. It’s a story that deserves to be told.
The third generation: Dick van Zutphen
Today, Modeca is led by Dick van Zutphen, the brand’s third-generation owner and director. Dick inheriting not just a company but a legacy and a responsibility. He has spoken openly about what it means to carry that weight: “As a family business with 80 years of experience, we know the hard work with all its highs and lows very well,” he has said. “The world changes in many ways, but marriage remains. The bridal industry must also hold its ground in times when former certainties no longer guarantee success.”
That grounded, clear-eyed perspective has defined his leadership. Under Dick’s stewardship, Modeca has expanded its retail footprint to over 70 countries, built a reputation as one of the most reliable and innovative bridal partners in the business, and launched a portfolio of collections that speaks to the full spectrum of modern brides, without ever losing sight of the core values that the brand was built upon. His approach is hands-on, personal and rooted in the ethos of the family business. His fluency across B2B sales relationships, his investment in the brand’s retail partners, and his commitment to direct communication with boutiques worldwide have made him as much an ambassador as an executive. Modeca is ultimately a people business and that truth shapes every decision he makes.
Dick van Zutphen, Owner and Director of Modeca Bridal at Global Bridal House Event 2026
A portfolio built for every bride
One of the most significant chapters in Modeca’s evolution under Dick’s leadership has been the expansion of its collections. What began as a single bridal line has grown into a thoughtfully structured family of labels, each with its own identity and audience. The flagship Modeca collection remains the heart of the brand – timeless, romantic and rooted in the classic elegance that built the company’s reputation.
Alongside it, Modeca Lux, launched in 2024, represents the brand’s boldest step yet into luxury bridal, offering statement gowns for the bride who wants to truly stand out. 2018 brought Curves, a line born from the conviction that beauty is not a size. Curves offered thoughtfully constructed, flattering gowns for brides with fuller silhouettes, a segment that the industry had long underserved. In 2026, Curves was reborn as Silhouette by Modeca, a rebrand that reflects a deepened, more refined commitment to inclusive bridal design, with a contemporary identity to match.
Global Bridal House Event 2026
Eighty years on
“For 80 years, Modeca has been part of life’s most meaningful moments, helping brides step into their wedding day with confidence and beauty. What began in 1946 has grown into a legacy of bridal excellence. Today, we celebrate not only our history, but every bride who has worn a Modeca gown and made it her own.”
Over 100,000 brides have found their dress at Modeca. That is not a statistic, it is a gallery of moments, a hundred thousand walking-down-the-aisle memories, each one the most important of someone’s life.
For Dick van Zutphen, the anniversary is not a moment to rest on laurels. It is, in his own spirit, a foundation to build from. The bridal industry is changing, B2C demand is growing, social media is reshaping how brides discover and choose their gowns, and the expectations of a new generation of boutiques require new thinking about marketing and brand positioning. Modeca is meeting all of it head-on.
Eighty years on, Modeca remains what it has always been: a family that knows how to make a bride feel beautiful.
Here’s to the next eighty!
For further information on the brand, visit: Modeca Bridal