Proposte 2023 - Final Considerations
The 30th edition of Proposte has just dropped the curtains with a growing number of attending visitors and satisfaction from the exhibitors. Visitor attendance was very high, especially on the first day of the event, with operators who visited Villa Erba to discover the excellence of furnishing fabrics, curtains, trimmings, and wall coverings.
Special thanks to the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation and the Italian Trade Agency ICE for their support.
This year too, the Italian Trade Agency ICE for the promotion abroad and internationalization of Italian companies confirmed its collaboration with Proposte organizing the incoming of international operators and journalists from China, India, Korea, Slovenia, Tunisia, the United States, Japan, and New Zealand, to develop, facilitate and promote trade relations between Italy and foreign countries.
On Wednesday, April 19, ICE Agency Director General Dr. Roberto Luongo visited the event at Villa Erba together with Massimo Mosiello, Director of Proposte.
The four start-ups located in the Ala Cernobbio drew much attention: CDC_Studio, FLOCUS™, Fody Benefit Society, and Nazena, concentrating on the promotion and development of new solutions for New Materials and Textile Upcycling. In addition to the Start-up Area, other interesting proposals were showcased in the Ala Lario: Cometa Formazione, Alliance for European Flax-Linen & Hemp, and Fashion Room.
At the end of the second day of the trade show, Proposte celebrated its 30th edition with exhibitors, visitors, and journalists with a light dinner and swing music in the background in the wonderful setting of Villa Antica. In his speech addressed to the attendees, President Alessandro Tessuto repeated the concept that the success of the event, which, in thirty years, has become the point of reference in the world of furnishing textiles, is mainly attributable to the participation of those who have continued to support and believe in Proposte over time. The President also warned about the situation outside Villa Erba with companies presenting their collections in some cases just a few days before the opening of Proposte and taking advantage of Proposte's organization.
The final balance of this 30th edition is positive: "23% more foreign visitors compared to the 2022 edition. More visitors came from the United States (+26%), United Kingdom (+33%), France (+12%), and Germany (+13%); the performance of China was also positive," commented the Director Massimo Mosiello
ComoCrea recorded a positive performance overall. The 18 designers expressed satisfaction with the number of visitors they met and the new contacts established.
Proposte 2023 - news and agenda
SPECIAL AREAS
Like last year, Proposte will feature special areas during the three days of the trade show at Villa Erba
AREA STARTUP in collaboration with:
CDC Studio is an innovation hub that offers technological and innovative solutions for the reuse of waste or unsold materials. Waste materials are given new life through polyethylene regenerated using the patented coeo technology; in this way, waste is transformed into a resource - from waste to evolution.
FLOCUS™ is the brand of kapok fibers offering a range of textile products: virgin fibers, yarns, woven and nonwoven textiles. Flocus is an innovator in the supply chain: from raw materials to finished products ready for market. Flocus established KRAF, a nonprofit foundation, engaged in kapok tree planting with the help of some customers.
StartUp Fody - Società benefit
Fody is an Innovative Startup, involved in the evaluation of undervalued resources. In our inclusive laboratories, high quality fabric scraps are transformed into lifesaving blankets and new eco-social products, by disadvantaged people, which through a personal empowerment process, can access new and unique job opportunities.
Since 2020 the blankets produced are donated regularly to homeless people, refugees and abandoned animals in Europe, and since 2022, all materials that are not usable for the purpose, are transformed into unique gadgets for Companies, to support the development of the inclusive laboratories.
Our first goal is to donate 1 Million lifesaving blankets by 2030, empowering 1000 disadvantaged people and evaluating 1000 Tons of fabric scraps.
Nazena recovers textile scraps of natural and/or synthetic fibers and transforms them into construction material to replace plasterboard, flooring, soundproofing panels, packaging material, labels or pieces of furniture for stores and homes: from chairs to tables, bookshelves, trays or any other design product. All production is in-house, with a patented process, using only natural materials.
The Oliver Twist School was founded in Como in 2003 from the experience of Cometa, a family association that has been welcoming and educating children and young people in difficulty since 1987. One of their training courses is "Textile Processing Operator," where students learn to develop upholstery designs (first drawn by hand and then processed with Photoshop). The designs are developed at the request of clients inside and outside the school, starting from a theme presented in a moodboard. This creative activity is supplemented with an analysis of the textile supply chain operation, with special regard to the processes of finishing, printing, archiving/sampling and quality control. The students participating in Cometa, who will be present at Proposte, will be given an opportunity to directly experience a real context, showing their designs to the visitors of the trade show. This is also an opportunity for them to learn first-hand about an important event for the industry and the companies that operate in it.
Alliance for European Flax-Linen & Hemp
The Alliance for European Flax-Linen and Hemp is the only European agro-industrial reference organization on a global scale that groups all players in the European Flax-Linen and Hemp value chain with a threefold mission: inform members, brands, and consumers; support the European ecosystem and know-how; promote European Flax-Linen and Hemp as the world's preferred, sustainable premium quality fibers. The Alliance is committed to increasing the international visibility of European Flax-Linen and Hemp, whose technical and environmental qualities provide worldwide creative inspiration and offer new perspectives for industrial innovation. It ensures the traceability of Flax-Linen fiber through EUROPEAN FLAX® and MASTERS OF LINEN® certifications.
Fashion Room is a bookstore specializing in fashion and design. A place where creative people can find all the tools to support the work that goes into the research and development of new collections, new materials and new colors.
INTERNATIONAL OBSERVATORY
The eighth edition of International Observatory, will be held at the Sheraton Lake Como Hotel, just a few minutes from the Villa Erba Exhibition Center. 14 companies operating in the international furnishing textiles sector will present their products. Visitors holding the Proposte electronic badge can access the exhibition directly or check in at the accreditation reception desk. A direct shuttle service leaving from the main gate of Villa Erba is available for convenient transfers between the two locations.
DOWNLOAD THE AGENDA OF PROPOSTE 2023
Proposte 2023 - 78 exhibitor companies at Villa Erba
78 companies will participate in the 30th edition of Proposte scheduled on April 18, 19, and 20, 2023.
Villa Erba is the unique and exclusive location of Proposte, hosting 29 Italian and 49 international exhibitor companies. For the first time, the French manufacturer Linder and the Italian manufacturer SIRPI JVwallcovering, opening Proposte’s doors to the world of wallcoverings, will participate in the trade show.
The number of exhibitors is going back to comparable pre-pandemic levels and it is interesting to note that ten companies – one Italian and nine from abroad – have re-confirmed their participation after years. "This is a great satisfaction that marks a turning point after the issue we have had with the Fuorisalone of Cernobbio. The fact that companies have come back to Proposte – like the Turkish Vanelli Tekstil - is evidence of the importance of Proposte held at the Villa Erba exhibition center as a “must-attend” event in the world of furnishing fabrics and curtains," commented Alessandro Tessuto, president of Proposte.
The 30th edition of Proposte will feature a new collaboration. This year, Comocrea Interni, the exhibition dedicated to textile design, will have a reserved area in the exhibition center. The Ala Regina will also be dedicated to 18 designers who, over the years, have presented their collections in parallel with Proposte. Two excellences - Proposte and Comocrea Interni - have joined forces to make the visitors' experience more complete.
DOWNLOAD THE EXHIBITORS LIST OF PROPOSTE 2023 (updated on 20th February 2023)
Proposte 2023 - Image
The 30th edition of Proposte will take place on April 18, 19 and 20, 2023, in the usual setting of Villa Erba in Cernobbio.
Proposte 2023 advertising image incorporates fabric, the key player of the exhibition, that playfully integrates with the graphic elements, with a colorful drape that reminds us of a poster within a poster, almost like an invitation to an important anniversary. The choice of the bright and saturated color palette, along with the traditional red of Proposte, symbolizes the importance of the combination of tradition with renewal, the key ingredients of Proposte’s great success.
The 30th edition marks a significant anniversary that brings us back in time to the advertising pages that most made the history of Proposte.
There were numerous collaborations with designers, but, among the most significant, we recall 2010, the year in which Karim Rashid used several patterns typical of his style to develop our graphic image. In 2014 and 2019, we involved two winners of the Golden Compass Award: Giancarlo Iliprandi, who created a page with his most recognizable international typographic style; and Studiocharlie with "Woven Stories", i.e. woven stories told through the advertising page, and even more so with the installation located the Central Hall, narrating the uniqueness of the history of furnishing textiles through the voices of the exhibitors.
We cannot forget to mention architect Mario Bellini, who in 1986 designed the Villa Erba exhibition center and in 2018 developed a page with the draft design that inspired the layout of the central hall that remained on display during the three-day event.
Over the years, Proposte has also relied on the collaboration of illustrators and artists. The most faithful will remember a man dressed in yellow who, in 2005, accompanied the wait for Proposte; for months, the mascot of the Exhibition spread kindness and optimism through the hand of Angelo Ruta. For the 25th edition, in 2017, we collaborated with artist Paolo Gonzato, whose image revolved around fabric and color and inspired a unique piece of art he created to reward the 25 companies that made Proposte's history in the exhibition’s 25th anniversary celebration. In 2021, it was the turn of Agostino Iacurci, an Italian artist based in Berlin, who exalted the concept of upholstery fabric with the patterns he used to decorate the armchair that was the focus of the poster, just as it is the focus of a home living room.
In a journey back through the history of Proposte, the great film director, Franco Zeffirelli, did not design the advertising page but collaborated with us in 2008, confirming the Maestro's unfailing attention to interior decoration textiles as a set designer and director.
Proposte 2023 - the dates
The 30th edition of Proposte will be held on April 18, 19 and 20, 2023.
Two months after the end of the 2022 edition, the Proposte Board of Directors, the first chaired by Alessandro Tessuto, has set the dates for the next edition of the Trade Show - Tuesday, April 18, Wednesday, 19 and Thursday, April 20, 2023 - after considering the calendar, the bank holidays and the concurrent organization of other international fairs. As usual, the event will be held in the modern exhibition center of Villa Erba, in Cernobbio, in total synergy with the Salone Internazionale del Mobile in Milan to enable industry professionals, especially international ones, to take in both trade shows in one trip.
The winning format of the trade show has never been modified despite the many changes of the past 30 years to ensure that Proposte remained contemporary, reconfirming itself from year to year as an excellent showcase for new collections of fabrics for furnishing and curtains.
PROPOSTE 2022 - FINAL CONSIDERATIONS
The curtain has fallen on the 29th edition of Proposte. All the exhibitors taking part in the 3-day trade show held in Cernobbio expressed satisfaction with the participation of buyers from all over the world.
As usual, at the closing of the trade show, the Board of Directors met to resolve on the offices to renew. Piercarlo Viganò ends his 3-year term as President. "I am very happy to end my term after such an exciting edition. Attendance was up over 30% and, in particular, the participation of foreign companies increased by over 45%," said the outgoing President. "I am also more than happy because my dear friend and colleague Alessandro Tessuto, of Clerici Tessuto & C., has finally given in to my entreaties and agreed to become the new President of Proposte for the next three years. I will continue to contribute to the organization of the trade show as director of Proposte and President of Ascontex." The entire Board of Directors of Proposte will be renewed: Mauro Cavelli passes the reins to his son Matteo, who will join Tessuto, Viganò, Marco Parravicini of Parà and Diego Vercellino of Sirio Tendaggi. The whole Board thanks the outgoing board member Mauro Cavelli for his valuable contribution, provided over more than twenty years of collaboration.
69 exhibitors presented their new collections at Proposte 2022 and visitors were given a general preview of the materials, designs and colors in the Exhibitor Forum installation located in the Padiglione Centrale.
The influences of the natural world stood out, both in the extensive use of yarns made from vegetable fibers, with some experiments in the use of unusual types and blends, and the color palette, dominated by warm earth tones alongside green and blue shades. Always present are off-white and neutral colors applied to new fibers and designs. The prints feature mainly animal and botanical motifs.
Bouclé and slub yarns are often used, giving heft and irregular textures to fabrics. Metallic yarns and laminated finishes are experimented with in both curtains and furnishings.
An increasing number of exhibitors are paying special attention to sustainability, both from the production cycle standpoint and in the presentation of novelties characterized by the choice of recycled materials.
"I would like to sincerely thank all the exhibitors who continue to show their faith in Proposte by presenting their exclusive collections at Villa Erba," said Director Massimo Mosiello "The trade show confirms its standing as an international showcase. This edition recorded 70% foreign visitors and 30% Italian visitors."
Special thanks to the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation and the Italian Trade Agency ICE for their support.
During the three days of the exhibition, the “Italy is simply extraordinary: beIT “ video was shown in the Ali Lario and Cernobbio to promote Made-in-Italy production, support Italian exports and leverage the internationalization of the Italian economic system.
This year too, the Italian Trade Agency ICE, which supports the business development of Italian companies abroad and promotes the attraction of foreign investment in Italy, reconfirmed its collaboration with Proposte. With the intention of developing, facilitating and promoting economic and commercial relations of Italian companies with other countries, and with special attention to the needs of SMEs, the Italian Trade Agency ICE organized the incoming of 33 operators and 7 foreign trade press journalists from Argentina (1), Denmark (1), France (2), Germany (4), Japan (1), India (4), Lebanon (5), Mexico (1), New Zealand (2), Slovenia (1), Spain (3), Turkey (1), Uruguay (1), USA (9), United Kingdom (2), South Africa (1) and Hungary (1).
On Thursday morning, April 28, the ICE Director General, Dr. Roberto Luongo, accompanied by Director Massimo Mosiello, visited the Italian exhibitors at Villa Erba.
On Tuesday 26, at 11.30, ADM General Manager, Marcello Minenna, inaugurated the Laboratorio Mobile Milano in the Villa Erba gardens. The mobile structure enables the local performance of chemical analyses in a timely manner for specific product sectors.
Sophisticated aperitifs were held at sunset in the Villa Erba park on Tuesday 26th and Wednesday 27th, after exhibition hours. Attendance was high and the participants were more than happy to share a pleasant moment of relaxation after a hard day’s work.
"It is always a pleasure, and Proposte, which has been showcasing the excellence of research and experimentation in textiles for home décor and furnishing at Villa Erba for 29 years, is a flagship exhibition for us. We feel it as a priority to collaborate with the organizers of Proposte and provide them with our support.
The increased number of visitors is certainly a source of satisfaction for us too, and we take this opportunity to congratulate the organizers for their professionalism and expertise. Proposte is a global showcase and a flagship for Italy, generating great benefits also for ancillary activities,” added Piero Bonasegale, Director of Villa Erba.
After dropping the curtains at Villa Erba, Proposte moves to the web: the trade show goes online with the fierasmart365.propostefair.it marketplace, providing exhibitors an additional virtual showcase opportunity.
Proposte 2022 - Here we go!
Less than two weeks to Proposte 2022, which will enliven Villa Erba, in Cernobbio, on April 26, 27 and 28. Numerous new entries and initiatives mark this twenty-ninth edition, but some things will remain the same: Tuesday 26 and Wednesday 27 the Trade Show will be open to visitors from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., while on Thursday 28 it will open at 9 a.m. and close at 4 p.m., as always. The hours remain the same, and so do the access modalities.
There will be 69 companies, 40 foreign and 29 Italian, that will once again participate in Proposte, which they believe to be the premier showcase for Furnishing Fabrics and Curtains.
CORONAVIRUS EMERGENCY – ARRANGEMENTS FOR ACCESS
Exhibitors’ Forum and Fierasmart 365
This edition was again organized with the precious support of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation and the International Trade Agency ICE, which allowed the development of a series of interesting initiatives for the three-day event, such as the Exhibitors’ Forum, the installation featuring previews of the new collections, located in the Padiglione Centrale: a combination of materials, designs and colors of textiles from all the Exhibitors.
Online for the three days of the Fair and the months to follow, fierasmart365.propostefair.it is the digital platform of Proposte, designed to offer exhibitors a virtual display window.
Special Areas
In the Serra Platani, special areas will be set up, dedicated to CELC, the European Confederation of Linen and Hemp, which will present innovative products in linen, particularly intended for high-end interior design, and ADM, the Agency of Excises, Customs and Monopolies, which will illustrate the processes by which their laboratory technicians analyze fibers and fabrics, and will also present the customs institutes that facilitate exports. A special presentation event is scheduled on Tuesday 26 at 11:30 a.m. at the Serra Platani.
Aperitif in the park
On April 26 and 27, at 5:30 p.m., Proposte is pleased to offer exhibitors, clients, visitors and members of the press an aperitif in the splendid setting of the park at Villa Erba. In case of inclement weather, the aperitif will be held in the Padiglione Centrale.
StartUp and beIT
Inside the Exhibition Center, in addition to the desks dedicated to Italian and international sector publications, the big news this year is the presence of two start-ups in the Ala Cernobbio: The Id Factory and Twinone are supported by Italian StartUp, from ICE Agency, and will present new solutions in Product Digitization and Traceability & Supply Chain Evolution.
Along the Ala Lario and Ala Cernobbio, a video will be shown; Italy is simply extraordinary: beIT, in support of the promotional campaign for Made in Italy goods, Italian exports and the internationalization of the national economic system.
International Observatory
Just a few minutes from the Exhibition Center at Villa Erba, the Sheraton Lake Como Hotel and Spazio Como will be the venue for the VII edition of the International Observatory, where, during the same days and hours as Proposte, 24 companies of the international furnishing textile sector will be exhibiting their products. Sector operators can use their electronic Proposte badges to access the Observatory directly, or they can be accredited at the reception desk. Our shuttle bus service provides a direct connection from the main entrance to Villa Erba.
App, website and social networks
Starting next week, a new application will be ready for download: a webapp with lots of new features, including push notifications that will be sent out during the Trade Show to update users in real time. In the days immediately prior to Proposte, the new website will also be uploaded online, with new graphics and new functions. Proposte extends its presence on the social media: #ProposteFair and #Proposte2022 are the main hashtags for this edition.
Proposte 2022 - The Exhibitors
On April 26, 27, and 28, 69 exhibitors will participate in the 29th edition of Proposte at Villa Erba, nine more than last year. Four of them are new entries while other important companies have decided to return to Cernobbio after a period of absence. The presence of international exhibitors is significant with 40 foreign participants and 29 Italian. For the first time at Proposte are Steiner 1888 from Austria, G.M. Fabrics from India and the Italian companies Giò Emi and Tendaggi Paradiso.
Once again, and this year even more, the new entries are evidence of the fact that Proposte is a key appointment for the producers of high-end textiles and textile shades on the global market.
“After two years of the pandemic, the world has not yet returned to pre-Covid time, and the Russian-Ukrainian war is now increasing concerns on the human and social front. Yet, compared to the gloomiest months of 2020 and 2021, the situation in our industry seems to be going back to normality and traveling and business are increasingly becoming part of our daily life again. Let’s hope that there will be no turning back,” noted Proposte President Piercarlo Viganò.
In the meantime, the Proposte Secretariat is working on the development of several special projects to increase the visibility of the collections presented by the exhibitors. This year too, there will be an installation in the Central Hall – called “Exhibitor Forum” – with a summary overview of the products that visitors will find in the booths. The Proposte marketplace will also be accessible at the following link: fierasmart365.propostefair.it. The objective of this initiative is to provide Proposte exhibitors with a virtual showcase extending the physical trade show to the digital platform. All this and even more was made possible thanks to the precious support of the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation and the Italian Trade Agency ICE.
PROPOSTE 2022 - THE NEW DATES IN APRIL
Proposte 2022 has been rescheduled: it will still be held in April and at the same venue, Villa Erba in Cernobbio, Italy, but postponed to the end of the month, from Tuesday 26th to Thursday 28th.
Due to the fourth wave of the Covid pandemic, the entire European fair calendar has undergone date changes and postponements.
“After careful consideration by the Board of Directors, we have decided to bring the dates of the Fair forward. The fact that there was an open slot at Villa Erba in the same month allowed us to take this opportunity in the interest of that whole world of people that is involved with Proposte without disrupting the event calendar too much. This rescheduling will certainly work in favour of the Fair’s success” stated the Chairman, Mr. Piercarlo Viganò. “In these two years we have been able to observe the virus’ behaviour during the various seasons, and we believe that these new dates at the end of April will allow us to conduct the event more calmly. It is a period in which world travel should be guaranteed and in which we can make sure that all of our exhibitors and visitors can meet and do business in full compliance with all anti-Covid regulations”.
We also welcome the opportunity to send and present to you the logo for Proposte 2022. It is a new interpretation of our famous brand that consists in the complete destructuring of its elements. The text ‘Proposte’ becomes the focal point of the graphic representation, cohesively portraying the techniques and creativity of the world of textile design and of its exhibitors. The choice of colour palette completes the new vision of the brand with fresh and spring-like hues, symbolizing – together with the dynamic layout – the importance of meeting and of the merging of tradition with renewal that is considered to be the fundamental ingredient of the Fair’s global success.
PROPOSTE 2021, a great edition
The 28th edition of Proposte came to a close yesterday.
Over 2,700 visitors, of which more than 60% from foreign countries. Belgium, France, Germany and Spain were the countries most represented, with a consistent participation of Great Britain and the United States of America as well.
"We are highly satisfied with the results obtained. At the stands you could tangibly feel the enthusiasm and the desire to do business in person. Everyone was doing what had been most missed these last months: touching fabrics and looking into each other's eyes" commented Piercarlo Viganò, Proposte's President. "I agree with the exhibitors in saying that this edition has attracted to Villa Erba high quality clients".
"Once again I would like to thank our exhibitors who believed in the success of this edition of Proposte" shared Massimo Mosiello, the General Manager of the Exhibition. "Our thanks also go to the ICE Agency that collected a great international delegation composed of 70 buyers from Europe and the USA but, most of all, I wish to thank our staff for giving us its precious organizational support like never before".
CENTRAL PAVILION
This year, visitors were able to admire the installation, visible in the central pavilion, dedicated to the fabrics of all of the exhibitors presenting their main collections: a lookbook, a summary of the ‘must’ products of each participating company.
VILLA ERBA
"I sincerely thank Proposte and I offer them my wholehearted congratulations, because once again they have been able to take a proactive and courageous stance" says Piero Bonasegale, Director of Villa Erba. “The architectural layout of our compendium allowed to guarantee social distance and protection of the health of exhibitors and visitors in these days. A heartfelt thanks also goes to our staff that, in addition to its typical activity of supporting the organizers, was able to successfully manage access points to the fair in total compliance with the health protocols”.
FIERA SMART 365 PLATFORM
Villa Erba's gates are now closed and Proposte, from today 10th of September, is moving online as Fiera
Smart 365, the marketplace developed with the support of the Italian Ministry for Foreign Affairs and for
International Cooperation and of the ICE Agency.
This initiative's goal is to offer all Proposte exhibitors a virtual window that can provide continuity until the
next year’s edition of the fair.
Fiera Smart 365 gives exhibitors the opportunity to keep in contact with clients after welcoming them in
Cernobbio and, in the future, we imagine that this marketplace will march alongside the face to face
exhibition that however will continue to be an irreplaceable presence in the marketplace.
The platform is available at the following link: fierasmart365.propostefair.it.
PROPOSTE 2022
See you at the 29th edition of Proposte that will be held on the 5th, 6th and 7th of April at Villa Erba.