Production of the material includes several stages: silk floss is spun into yarn by hand, with patterns added by hand-tying bundles of yarn before dyeing the yarn with indigo, then the silk is woven using a back-tension loom.

UNESCO: Culture

This season, Ms. Bruno likes elegant, hand-painted patterns instead of crisply defined flowers, which don't feel as fresh to her.

WSJ: Coats to Wear for Spring

The aloha (or Hawaiian) shirt, with its hand-blocked patterns of canoes, pineapples and leis was in its infancy, still a made-to-order keepsake for adventurous tourists.

WSJ: Spring Fashion's Endless Summer