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Origins and uses
This exquisite fabric has a rough texture and is heavier than
Chinese or Indian silk. In the brightest of colours and often
bearing traditional flame patterns, it may not suit most Western
complexions but is still a popular buy if you're shopping
in Bangkok. It is excellent value for money and is great for
interiors and eveningwear.
Northeast Thailand is the centre of the silk industry, since
the soil is ideally suited to the cultivation of mulberry
bushes, the leaves of which are the main diet of the silkworm.
More subdued hues come from here in the form of matmee,
the silk favoured by Thai Royalty which often bears a geometric
pattern. Most of the weaving is done in and around Bangkok.
Most silk is sold by the metre and is used to make dresses
and suits. Bangkok boasts many tailors who will whip something
up for you in 24 hours, but quality of workmanship probably
won't be up to Hong Kong standards.
Where to buy: Jim Thompson Thai Silk Company
Because it is so heavy to wear, Thai silk has something of
a dowdy image amongst the younger generation. This is set
to change, however, with the introduction of new, designer
styles pioneered by the Jim Thompson Company.
Not only is the Jim Thompson Thai Silk Company the best silk
shop in Thailand, stocking a wide range of luxurious fabrics,
designer outfits and stylish hoeware, but it has an intriguing
history to boot. It was founded in 1951 by the eponymous American
entrepreneur and former secret agent who was so enraptured
by this rough, heavy fabric that comes in the brightest of
hues that he was moved to act as a sort of ambassador of silk
to the world. His company was so successful that Thompson
was able to build himself a beautiful house in the traditional
Thai style, where he hosted parties which had the Bangkok
elite and expat community clamouring for an invite.
Then, in 1967, Jim Thompson left Bangkok to go hiking in
the foothills of the Cameroon Highlands. He was never seen
again. Theories abound about his disappearance. Some say he
was done over by the CIA, others he had an unhappy encounter
with a mountain beast. We'll probably never know what happened
to Jim Thompson, but his name and passion lives on in the
Jim Thompson Thai Silk Company - to this day the best place
to purchase silk in all of Bangkok.
When Jim Thompson disappeared, it was left to his young assistant
Bill Booth to keep the company afloat. Now 64, Bill is still
Managing Director while his 32 year old son Eric Bannag-Booth
breathes young life into the merchandise.
Over 110,000 people visit the Jim Thompson House each year.
Many may buy a length of superlative fabric for custom tailoring
or home furnishings, or perhaps a small gift item like tissue
holder or a handbag. But in the east, silk is still seen as
an old lady's fabric, and it's this dowdy image on the home
front that Eric is seeking to dispel. He has recently teemed
up with royal fashion designer Nagara Sambandanaska and furniture-maker-turned-international-style-guru
Nopadon Baholyodhin (Ou) to update and showcase silk through
a new range of silk accessories which will appear to the style-minded
but retain the allure of silk as a luxury material which typifies
Thailand. |
