Jim Thompson and the Thai Silk Company that he established saved a dying craft and transformed it into a world-class designer brand. Thompson’s development of the Thai silk industry is often cited as one of the great success stories of post-war Asia.

Thai Silk, a hand-woven fabric, is noted for its exceptional lustre, texture and its striking complement of contrasting colours – such as emerald green and magenta, or deep blue and shocking pink – co-existing in perfect harmony.

His mysterious disappearance during a visit to Cameron Highlands in 1967 creates a link to Malaysia, but the legacy of the American lives on in Malaysia at Starhill Gallery, where the brand is exclusively available.