One day, designer Anne Page discovered the perfect fabric for her creations: traditional blue and white hand-printed cotton from China; which led to the birth of her fashion accessories label Nankeen. The designer's extensive background in design and art convinced her that in the alleys of Shanghai she had uncovered a truly authentic treasure that was in danger of extinction.

To rescue and sustain this extraordinary craft would not be easy. The challenge, she came to believe, lay in how to provide a level of support for the "old ways" and to create a market in which the traditional methods of production could ensure a livelihood for those still working in these ancient art forms. Hopefully, it would attract others to participate in the perpetuation of this authentic element of Chinese culture. Unique, fashionable and elegant cotton accessories became her mission in the birth of the Nankeen collection.

The term "blue nankeen" describes hand-printed fabric of artistic refinement and primitive simplicity that originated on the Silk Road over 3,000 years ago. Hand-carved stencils, made originally from wood but now from heavy paper, are prepared and a mix of soya bean flour and slaked lime is applied through the openings of the stencil onto the 100% cotton fabric. Variations in the dyeing process, still performed by artisans in Shanghai, are valued as part of its uniqueness.

When dry, the fabric is dipped numerous times into the large tubs containing indigo dye. After the right colour is achieved and the fabric has dried, the paste is scraped off, revealing the white patterns on the blue cloth. The fabric is then washed, dried and ironed before fabrication into the Nankeen collection. Such fabric represents a fast-disappearing historic art form embodying ancient Chinese culture and traditions.