Lisa Von Tang Partners with Jim Thompson for a Limited Edition Resort Wear Collection
Lisa Von Tang’s partnership with Thailand’s renowned Jim Thompson started at her Lunar New Year show in Singapore when a conversation between industry friends connected the two brands with their shared love for Asian craftsmanship. What followed was a deeply intuitive creative exchange between Von Tang and Jim Thompson’s creative director, Be Inthavong which saw the amalgamation of heritage textiles, upcycled materials and a proudly regional design language. The limited edition collection encapsulates what modern Asian resort wear can look like by merging Southeast Asian sensuality with a sustainable ethos.
Lisa Von Tang has long championed sustainability at every stage of her production process, prioritising natural fibers like silk, linen, silk jacquard, Japanese cotton, organic washed cotton and highly biodegradable cupro that “feel honest against the skin”. The brand upcycles at least a third of deadstock fabrics each season, produces on-demand small batches and partners exclusively with certified, ethically audited factories, holding Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS), Global Recycled Standard (GRS) and Worldwide Responsibly Accreditation Product (WRAP) certifications. Even when synthetic materials like Lycra and Nylon are unavoidable — for performance wear such as swimwear and active pieces — they are crafted from premium blends with a high spandex content, offering 4-way stretch and a soft, non-restrictive fit designed to move naturally with the body.
Inspired by the region’s rich textile traditions, her versatile pieces effortlessly carry the wearer from the ocean to yoga class, onward to the airport, lunch meetings and glamorous evening affairs. In line with the launch of her latest limited collection collaborative collection, LUXUO speaks to the designer on how she ensures a careful balance of sensuality, functionality and regional storytelling.
Congratulations on the latest Lisa Von Tang X Jim Thompson collection! Can you tell us more about it and how this exciting collaboration came about?
As all great collaborations start — it began with shared values and creative community. During my last Lunar New Years fashion show at 67 Pall Mall in Singapore, one of my dear friends Olivier Burlot was in attendance and shared this epiphany he had while watching the show! Olivier had just come from Bangkok where Jim Thompson had just presented their new resort line and felt that there was a strong collaboration potential between the two brands.
I had met Frank Cancelloni — the CEO of Jim Thompson — many years ago, but it was Olivier that reconnected us with this beautiful idea of exploring a Singapore-meets-Thailand design story: expanding on JT’s foray into womenswear. I was inspired, as I’ve long been a fan of the incredible textiles and artisanship of Jim Thompson. I then met their creative team — which felt a bit like a first date — and the result was terrific! We were so inspired to create a sustainable collaboration together.
You developed a close bond with Khun Bee Inthavong, the creative director of Jim Thompson. What insights did you gain from collaborating with this distinctive Thai lifestyle brand?
It’s not often that you meet someone and they instantly feel like family — especially when this someone is also a Creative Director and you get a chance to create together! Working with Be Inthavong on the collaboration line felt both natural and intuitive, as well as sharpened my blind spots.
My greatest learnings were around the usage of heavier fabrics than I typically use, such as their woven jacquards and structured Thai silks, as well as adjusting the collection commercially for Jim Thompson’s client base. On the latter point, we took great pains to ensure the armholes, the coverage, the lengths of dresses, the sheerness and so forth was in keeping with modesty while also retaining a clear sensuality. LVT alone does not shy away from bold statements, so creating designs that carried this DNA while being more elegantly contained was professionally fulfilling.
On the fabric side, Be wanted to stick with deadstock fabrics we could upcycle — which was something I was also passionate about. This of course meant that all designs needed to be crafted around the fabric itself: I really enjoyed accentuating the fabric’s character by creating structured folds, pleating and introducing raw edges when needed to soften a thicker hemline.
Be and I had such a fun chemistry working together — that even our teams commented to us about it! His feedback and ideas elevated every design and showed me a side of LVT that is also fresh and new for us. I also appreciate that Be has deep roots in Southeast Asia and has such a love for the natural fibres and textile craftsmanship that come out of this region.
What are five words you would use to describe this collection?
1. Feminine
2. Celebration
3. Proudly Asian
4. Sustainable
5. Passion for Craft
Will this collection be available in your Singapore, Maldives and Ibiza boutiques?
Due to us upcycling fabric for this collection, it is highly limited in quantity and already running out of sizes in its first week since launch! In Singapore, our top clients have received special access to the collection via Privato — a VIP private styling showroom by Tina Tan Leo. Remaining stock is currently available on www.lisavontang.com and selling quickly. For sold-out sizing, we encourage customers to email us at info@lisavontang.com as we are organising restocking for the new year.
In Bangkok, you’ll be able to find the collection throughout the main Jim Thompson boutiques from 15 December onwards. With regard to LVT’s resort partners and the Ibiza market, we hope to create another collaboration line in the future with Jim Thompson to serve these wider customers also.
When it comes to the Lisa Von Tang label, how does your mixed heritage inform the way you design?
Being half Chinese and having lived half of my life in the West, and half in Asia; my outlook is decidedly east-meets-west. I never followed trends and rather always wanted to express cultural fusion through my designs. I feel it’s a yearning in clients that wear LVT: this desire to express their Asian identity but in a refined way that suits their environment. It would have been easy to follow the European-dominated global fashion hegemony, but a shift is underway towards both localised identities and global citizenship — the new world dresses with multiculturalism in mind. A mandarin button on an LVT garment is both design and rebellion.
What inspires you most when you visit a new place?
Firstly, the nature. In both Ibiza and Thailand, I love the unique color of the island waters, free-diving in the underwater caves and the unique foliage. Then of course, the design sense of the people. When it comes to real locals, the colours, the fabric, the shapes; it’s all determined by the environment they are in ± whether conscious or not. In New York, denim and a blazer with leather Chelsea boots makes sense. In Bali, naturally dyed organic materials with leather sandals and a silver prayer trinket. I love seeing how the environment shapes the style of a community.
Jim Thompson and LVT live in the world of urban resort wear — which makes sense given that our countries contain cosmopolitan centers built in what used to be lush jungle. Our customers want a wardrobe that makes sense while on vacation at an Aman, on the flight and then later during a lunch meeting in Singapore. This aesthetic can also work in Ibiza, Miami, Malibu, Lisbon and other warm or temperate zones that attract international, joie-de-vivre sort of folk.
How do you empower women through your designs?
I often feel like the brand LVT is my superhero costume, and in reality, I myself often drift in and out of being empowered in my own life. The designs even more so become an intention for how I wish women could feel, in an ideal world. I like jackets because they make you feel shielded and powerful. Most of our jackets have a men’s styling adapted for the women’s figure.
I also like unabashedly feminine styles, like the porcelain-blue prints or the macrame-high-collared maxi dresses in the new collection, because they express a purity and simplicity. When a woman is most at ease, she doesn’t need the power jacket — she wants silk against the skin and flow.
Finally, the sexy figure-enhancing gowns that I continue to design — a woman has a right to be sexy and own her appeal. We often shy away from showing the sensual aspects of ourselves for fear of being marked as a bad girl. What a bore! My dream is to create designs that enable my clients to inhabit all aspects of their characters with grace.
You have long embraced the mantra “how to make retail great again.” Can you share how you are creating a unique experience across your boutiques, website and the social platforms you curate?
This makes me smile because we are so ambitious in our youth! I’ve realised after experimenting with the whole gamut of retail — including virtual reality and AI — that customers are now craving authenticity, uniqueness and experience above all else. We therefore are pursuing the most high-touch approach possible, with private VIP styling trunk shows that are invite-only; retail partnerships with resorts that embody our values of quality — like Banyan Tree Group, The Capella Hotel Group (Patina Resorts) and Agora at Six Senses — and personal customer service through our ecommerce website and Instagram.
It’s no secret that traditional multi-label retail is dying. Their margins are too thin, the business model is so tough in this climate — and the result of that for an independent label like LVT is that your order sizes are quite pitiful — and payments are often late. Therefore, we are back to selling direct, other than through experience-rich resort partners. I love placing LVT within the context of travel and discovery.
Is it easy to order your creations online and do you ship worldwide?
Yes, we ship worldwide! We also offer WhatsApp-assisted styling online, which streamlines the support process.
What is the next step for your label?
Just trying to always improve, create beauty and offer delightful service every day.
Is there someone whose presence or influence inspires your work on a daily basis?
I have a best friend who always has my back through difficult times and reminds me of what I’m capable of. She sends me the most on-point music when I didn’t know I needed it. And shows up in full force, with strategy, guidance, sisterhood, and really good wine and sake. We are in totally different industries, but her drive and fire for life is contagious.
Head to Lisa Van Tong’s official website to explore the full collection.
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