Martine and Louise Fokkens, identical twin sisters from Amsterdam, have shared their experiences as long-standing figures in the city’s Red Light District, reflecting on careers that spanned more than five decades.
The sisters, who retired in their seventies, have been described as some of the Netherlands’ most recognizable sex workers, and their story sheds light on the realities behind one of Europe’s most famous industries.
The twins began their work in sex work under different circumstances. Louise, introduced to the profession by her husband at 17, first appeared in one of Amsterdam’s window booths, a hallmark of the Red Light District.
Martine, initially working as a cleaner in a local brothel, joined the industry later, motivated by financial pressures after her husband lost his job. Both sisters credit each other with support during the early stages of their careers.
“Without her I would never have done it. But with her it felt less frightening,” Martine recalled.
Over the years, the Fokkens sisters became known for their entrepreneurial approach. They ran their own brothel alongside a traditional Dutch restaurant and became recognized for their signature thigh-high leather boots, which they could charge extra for.
The sisters estimate that, collectively, they served hundreds of thousands of clients, reflecting the scale and longevity of their work.
Their decades in the industry brought a mix of unusual encounters and memorable moments.
They recalled clients with distinctive fetishes, including a man obsessed with garden gnomes, as well as instances where clients attempted to avoid paying, sometimes leaving behind personal items such as prosthetic limbs.
Martine and Louise say these experiences, while sometimes bizarre, were part of the realities of their profession.
Despite societal perceptions of sex work, the sisters emphasize that their experiences were not as dark as often assumed.
Growing up in a poor household in Amsterdam, they were familiar with the Red Light District from an early age, viewing it as a normalized aspect of city life rather than a taboo.
“As if you can tell your twin what to do, we never listened to anyone,” Louise reflected on family attempts to intervene in her career.
Health and age eventually influenced their decision to retire. Louise cited arthritis as limiting her ability to perform certain positions, while Martine noted a decline in clientele over the years.
Yet even in retirement, Martine maintained one regular client, likening the sessions to a weekly routine akin to attending church.
The Fokkens sisters’ story provides a rare glimpse into the lives of long-term sex workers in Amsterdam, highlighting both the challenges and agency experienced by those in the industry.
Their reflections combine personal anecdotes with a broader perspective on an often-misunderstood profession, illustrating how two women navigated decades in one of Europe’s most iconic yet controversial workplaces.