IT ALL STARTED WHEN… Erinn and Donna met years ago as volunteers at their childrens' school, organizing and designing themed benefits. Over the years they often talked about working together on another project, but it was during a recent buying trip to China that they found the inspiration. On one of their rickshaw rides to far-flung local fabric markets, they discovered beautiful, versatile silks in exotic colors and vibrant patterns. They had a few pillows and a scarf of their own design hand-sewn by a talented local tailor. The results exceeded their expectations, but they still thought they had just made some items for themselves. That might have been the end of the story—except that on the day before their flight home, Donna broke her wrist and had to remain in Beijing for a month to recover from emergency surgery. Erinn stayed for moral support. During their enforced “vacation,” they found themselves thinking about that scarf and those pillows. It was Erinn who said: “If we like these so much, won’t other people think they are as gorgeous as we do?” “Of course!” Donna said. That’s how D&E Design & Experience was born.