A brief history of paisley

The New Oxford Dictionary defines paisley as 'a distinctive intricate pattern of curved, feather-shaped figures based on a pine cone design from India' . This paisley shawl is believed to be from 19th century England Photograph: Central Press/Getty Images

But paisley also has a legacy in Iran. This sample is believed to date from somewhere between 1800-1899 and has been traced back to the Masjid-e Nasir-ol-Molk mosque in Shiraz Photograph: Arthur Th venart/ Arthur Th venart/CORBIS

Religious and political advisers of Nasser-ed-Din, 1848-96 Shah of Iran, mid 19th century ceramic featuring paisley printed robes from Isfahan, Iran middle east tile turban flower beard paisley textile coat persian Eastern muslim moslem Esfahan Persia Decorative Arts People Persia Religious and political advisers of Nasser-ed-Din 1848-96 Shah of Iran mid 19th century ceramic from Isfahan Iran Photograph: Alamy

Paisley is a vegetal motif, often shaped like a droplet or kidney bean. The online textile glossary compares a typical pattern to half of the T'ai Chi symbol or the mango tree. This printed shawl, credited to the Victorian textile designer George Haite, is from the 19th century. Image shot 2006. The exact date is unknown Photograph: Alamy

Paisley arrived in Britain via Scotland, in the town which would give the print its Anglo name. From roughly 1800 to 1850, using Jacquard looms, the women of Paisley adapted the traditional design primarily by weaving woollen shawls. Changes in fashion led to the demise of the popularity of the shawl in the late 1800s. These printing blocks were found in Jaipur, India Photograph: John Henry Claude Wilson/ John Henry Claude Wilson/Robert Harding World Imagery/Corbis

The decline of the paisley shawl in the early 1870s happened for a number of reasons. Fashions changed, of course, and the Franco-Prussian war of 1870-1871 put a stop to exports of shawls from Kashmir, and by 1870 a woven Jacquard shawl cost as much as £1, while an identical patterned cotton shawl could be bought for a few shillings. Like any other luxury good, once the shawls were inexpensive enough that every woman could afford to own at least one, no one wanted to wear them Photograph: David H. Wells/ David H. Wells/CORBIS

Skip forward a few decades and we're in the 1960s. Commonwealth immigration saw the Asian population of Britain grow, and the decade moved culturally towards its looser, 'swinging' moniker. Fashion and music began to reflect a generic cosmic influence, epitomised by the Beatles' time with the Maharishi Mahesh Yogi in India in 1968. Here's Mick Jagger at a press conference in Germany in 1967 wearing a paisley jacket typical of the time Photograph: K & K Ulf Kruger OHG/Redferns

The Dave Clark Five show how the fashion became mainstream, and go all out by wearing matching white suits and paisley shirts in this picture from 1965 Photograph: Central Press/Getty Images

While it became widely fashionable for the younger generation, paisley's swirling pattern also reflected the psychedelic tendencies of the 60s, to the point where it became rather ubiquitous Photograph: Alamy

The 1990s saw a mild rebirth of 1960s music with the likes of Oasis and Kula Shaker imitating much of the sounds of the decade. The latter embraced the pan-Asian theme with gusto, as is clear with the artwork for their 1999 single Hush (a Deep Purple cover). It was a short-lived revival of this particular fashion Photograph: PR

But then the pattern made a surprise appearance at this London fashion week. Here, a model walks the runway at the Jonathan Saunders S/S 2012 show, where the print played a defining role in the designer's collection Photograph: Antonio de Moraes Barros Filho/WireImage

Jonathan Saunders' collection offered a stunning, updated revamp of a print which can easily be fussy and overcomplicated Photograph: Stuart Wilson/Getty Images

Likewise, TOPMAN Design also reprised paisley for men. Their Spring 2012 show featured tops, pyjamas, shorts and scarves Photograph: Samir Hussein/Getty Images

A paisley shirt on display at TOPMAN Design Photograph: Danny Martindale/WireImage

As with many of the designs on show at LFW, what we see on the catwalks in September 2011 is expected to be a big look in shops come spring 2012. And if you're planning on adding some paisley to your wardrobe, you may want to hang on to it. Judging by the print's timeline, we may be seeing yet another revival in about 50 years time Photograph: Samir Hussein/Getty Images