environmentally sustainable furnishings flourish at proposte 2019

following the exhibitions and large-scale installations of milan design week 2019, a fair celebrating the fields of furnishing fabrics, curtains and trimmings was held from april 15-17 by the shores of lake como in cernobbio, italy. proposte 2019 was the 27th and so far the biggest edition of the exhibition to date. amongst the colorful and high-quality spectrum of textiles, a trend for environmental sustainability took special notice.

all images by donatella simonetti courtesy of proposte

continuing as a core element of the fair from mario bellini’s creation in 2018, the exhibition of proposte 2019 was once again integrated within a bespoke large-scale installation. titled ‘woven stories’, the design by studiocharlie weaved its way from the exhibition grounds into the trade hall and then the entire complex. with a canopy of fabric strips and hanging imagery, it narrated the unique story of furnishing fabrics through the voices of the fair’s exhibitors.

with all of them being exclusive direct producers, the exhibitors at proposte showcase the highest quality of products with most focusing on a ‘made in europe’ directive. the 2019 edition saw an increase in the number of companies from the UK, netherlands, switzerland, russia, china and japan alongside strong inclusions of italian and american exhibitors once more. as part of the presentations, there was a high interest in environmentally sustainable fabrics with many offering new ‘green’ products.