Visitors show off the homespun fabric toys at the 2026 China International Fashion Fair. [Photo/Nantong Daily]

The booth of Zhangzhen Cloth Art, a brand under Qidong Chengyuan Cultural Communication, was already bustling with visitors on the morning of March 11 at the 2026 China International Fashion Fair in Shanghai.

Nantong's traditional elements, such as homespun fabric and blue calico, combined with adorable plush toys and elegant fabric flowers, created a captivating blend that drew numerous merchants and consumers. Once fading from daily life, the old homespun fabric has been revitalized with a fresh, youthful perspective.

The craft of making homespun fabric is a provincial intangible cultural heritage, carrying the living memories of generations of Nantong residents. In the past, almost every household in the city had bed sheets and covers made of this fabric, and a bride's dowry often included homespun fabric made by her mother, symbolizing blessings.

Homespun fabric toys. [Photo/Nantong Daily]

As times changed, the time-intensive weaving process, coarse texture, and narrow width of homespun fabric led to its decline in daily use. "Homespun fabric is not outdated; it just needs a fresh approach," said Zhong Xiaoying, one of the founders of Chengyuan Cultural Communication, as she gently touched a soft, round cloth toy.

Zhong, a native of Qidong, a county-level city in Nantong, and her husband Ji Hongwei, a local, ventured to other cities over 20 years ago to start a business in the textile and garment industry. However, the traditional homespun fabric of their hometown remained ingrained in their DNA.

How could they bring the old craft back into people's lives? Their daughter, Ji Zijin, who is also the company's design director, provided the inspiration. In 2018, while studying in Australia, Ji Zijin placed an order for fabric roses with her parents. They chose sturdy, intricately patterned homespun fabric. Unexpectedly, she sold all these fabric roses through social media.

The success of the fabric flowers marked their first profitable venture, sparking new ideas for the family's development. A few years ago, Zhangzhen Cloth Art collaborated with Wu Yuanxin, a national intangible cultural heritage inheritor of blue calico, to incorporate blue calico into cultural designs, launching trendy products like blue calico hangings, toys, and homespun fabric notebooks.

Their pride grew as their homespun fabric creations gained international recognition, with their creations featured at events such as the Paris Expo and the China-Thailand 50th Anniversary Celebration of Diplomatic Relations. "We never expected our products to be so popular among international friends; they sold out within days," said Ji Zijin.

"Bringing our homespun fabric to the international stage is just the beginning," she said. They are committed to further promoting their hometown's traditional crafts, ensuring that the intangible cultural heritage rooted in Nantong blossoms with new vitality.