i am always inspired by jim thompson the founder of the thai silk company, also my great-grandmother's brother. besides producing some of the most beautiful silks ever, the life and mysterious disappearance of jim thompson is fascinating. bill warren's the legendary american is a great biography. francine mathews has a good short article on his life.
the thai silk company doesn't export the fantastic cushion covers and other accessories that they sell in their shops all over southeast asia (occasionally some good stuff turns up on ebay) but the fabric is available in showrooms in all the major design centers.
of all the beautiful silks and napkins and pillows, etc. i shipped home from my internship with the thai silk company several years ago, what i love the most of are the unpublished photos from the archives that they gave me. my favorite is below... it is taken on the klong behind jim thompson's house, now a museum, and the most tranquil place in bangkok.
I lived in thailand as a child and vaguely remember visiting what I think was Jim Thompson's compound in Thailand...I was pretty creeped out when the guide told us the story of his disappearance. Cool relative!
Posted by: Sub-Studio | 2007.03.07 at 13:56
Oh no wonder you have such exquisite taste in fabrics and such a sharp sense of color!
I really envy your collection of unpublished photos (and the napkins too.) Is it true that Doris Duke alway stayed at Thompson's home when she was in Southeast Asia?
Posted by: style court | 2007.03.07 at 14:17
Very cool post, Frances
Posted by: amy Rodrigue | 2007.03.07 at 22:17
What an interesting relative you had! I remember hearing about his disappearance and always wanted to learn more about it. I'll have to read the book. Great post!
Posted by: The Peak of Chic | 2007.03.09 at 16:25
Interesting site, always a new topic .. good luck in the new 2011. Happy New Year!
Posted by: school_dubl | 2010.12.30 at 09:53