03   The story of cashmere is bathed in romance. In 16th Century India, Kashmiri craftsmen wove shawls from this downy fleece (hence its name) bought from the caravans of traders that travelled along the Silk Road bringing their precious cargo from China, Tibet, Afghanistan and northern Persia. The Indian Emperor Akbar is known to have owned several of these shawls in a multitude of exotic hues. However, it was the early 19th century French Empress Eugenie, a celebrated icon of style, who made cashmere fashionable. Legend has it that her shawls were so fine, they could be drawn through a ring.