WIPO Appoints Thailand's Princess Sirivannavari as Ambassador for Fashion and Design
The World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) appointed Her Royal Highness Princess Sirivannavari Nariratana Rajakanya of the Kingdom of Thailand as its Ambassador for Fashion and Design at a ceremony held at WIPO headquarters in Geneva on 28 May 2026. The appointment, announced under WIPO press release PR/2026/953, recognizes Her Royal Highness's contributions to creativity, innovation and the strategic use of intellectual property (IP).
A Portfolio Built on Strategic IP
Speaking at the ceremony, WIPO Director General Daren Tang highlighted the scale of Princess Sirivannavari's IP holdings, noting that she has accumulated 541 IP assets over the course of her fashion career and holds registered trademarks in 34 countries covering branded jewelry, leather goods and home décor. Among her most recognizable creative identities are the Peacock motif and the "SR" monogram — elements that, according to Director General Tang, combine cultural expression with commercial strength and illustrate how deliberate IP strategy can support enterprise growth.
Tang described Her Royal Highness's approach as "a consistent, deliberate practice of using intellectual property as a foundation for building a lasting creative enterprise," and said her experience in bringing together heritage, design and intellectual property was "a model that others should emulate."
Supporting Artisans Across Thailand
Beyond her personal portfolio, Princess Sirivannavari has worked directly with artisans and craftspeople across Thailand, helping communities develop traditional heritage into products competitive in contemporary markets. Director General Tang noted that this domestic work formed a central justification for extending the ambassadorship's reach internationally — supporting communities in other countries to unlock new potential in their own creative traditions through design, branding and strategic IP use.
The economic dimension of this work was detailed by Suphajee Suthumpun, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Commerce of the Kingdom of Thailand. Speaking at the ceremony, she said that by bestowing original fabric patterns upon local weavers and artisans throughout the Kingdom, Princess Sirivannavari had sustainably generated livelihoods for more than 800,000 families across all 77 provinces of the country, creating economic value exceeding 200 billion baht, or more than 5.3 billion euros. Minister Suthumpun described these endeavors as a demonstration "to creators and designers around the world that intellectual property, when rooted in cultural heritage, can generate enduring social and economic value for generations to come."
Exhibition at WIPO Headquarters
Alongside the appointment, the Kingdom of Thailand is hosting an exhibition at WIPO headquarters showcasing Princess Sirivannavari's distinctive IP holdings, including examples of products from her fashion lines as well as traditional methods of creation used by Thai artisans. Director General Tang thanked Thailand for making the exhibition possible.
A Royal Family's Long Engagement with IP
The appointment continues a pattern of engagement between the Thai Royal Family and the international IP system. In 2009, His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej, Rama IX, became the first recipient of the WIPO Global Leader Award, in recognition of his contributions — an earlier milestone that the current appointment builds upon in situating Thailand's creative ambitions within a broader framework of international IP cooperation.
WIPO's stated intention is for her role to extend beyond Thailand's borders, with Director General Tang expressing hope that the appointment will allow her to support communities in other countries in finding new potential in their own creative traditions through design, branding and the strategic use of intellectual property. The ceremony and accompanying exhibition together signal Thailand's determination to be recognized not only as a source of traditional craftsmanship but as a participant — at the highest institutional levels — in shaping international norms around creativity, design and the economic value of cultural heritage.
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