Frank Cancelloni, Group CEO of Jim Thompson, welcomed guests with a short history lesson on its founder’s achievements as well as a view into the company’s expansion as a global lifestyle brand with branches in fashion, textiles, home accessories, and even hospitality. “This evening was a true celebration of creativity, heritage, collaboration, and culture. Since its founding more than seven decades ago, the brand has become synonymous with exceptional Thai craftsmanship and a pioneering spirit that bridges tradition and innovation,” Cancelloni said.
Jim Thompson, the man, was an American intelligence operative working for the U.S. Office of Strategic Services (OSS) in Thailand during World War II. Following the war, he returned to private industry, founding a business that helped revitalize the Thai silk industry in the 1950s and ’60s. He vanished in Malaysia’s Cameron Highlands in 1967, never to be seen again—a famously unsolved mystery that continues to garner interest and speculation to this day. His formidable legacy includes the extraordinary Bangkok house he built in the late 1950s, a place that merged his professional training as an architect and his passion for Asian antiquities. That landmark project provided serious inspiration for The White Lotus’s creative team, and it remains a touchstone for designers working across the globe today. Khop khun kha.