Proposte 2009 will be held at Villa Erba from May 6 to 8, 2009. The well-attented press conference of Proposte 09 was held at the Leonardo da Vinci Museum of Science and Technology in Milan at November 24th. The choice of a place dedicated to science and culture is the proof that Proposte, the world premiere of furnishing fabrics and curtains, is evidently motivated by economic-commercial reasons, but that its success consolidated year after year finds a valid support in the artistic and historic themes that have always accompanied the world of interior textiles. The President, Piercarlo Vigano said, “Proposte from the first edition, the fair has gained recognition that has truly pleased the organisers. Proposte is becoming more and more international. Over these seventeen years, the visitors - all entrepreneurs - to Cernobbio have always shown their appreciation for the exhibitors commitment and these efforts will be reinforced to demonstrate that Proposte is a vital part of the world of textiles, a must, even though today’s markets are undergoing a shrinkage of never before seen proportions”.

The Director, Mauro Cavelli made a rapid analysis of the European Textile market and asserted that “European governance is needed for sector projects in which the manufacturers are supported to create industrial continuity, otherwise the small and medium enterprises will cease to exist, especially those textile enterprises that still guarantee the largest source of women’s employment. The European Union must not only anticipate funds for reallocating terminated employees from the textile industry, but also provide protection for the healthy companies that have made investments over the last two years, advancing a great legacy of industry and design”.

Nicola Fabrizio, representing the textile editors - one of the six categories of entreppreneurs invited to visit Proposte - spoke at the press conference. In his thought he asserted that “in most cases there has been a drop in the number of visitors to the fairs, perhaps with the exception of Proposte. Despite this, compatibly with the sales strategies of the individual companies, the fair continues to represent an opportunity not to be missed for textile editors to size up the market. It is also very important to maintain a direct line of communication with the manufacturers, because in this particular moment perhaps the request is for fewer collections, but with a longer average life time, greater technical information, quicker delivery times and longer payment conditions”. Finally, culture was at centre stage in teh report by Chiara Buss, Director of the Department of Applied Arts Isal who, with her expertise, spoke on the topic of the fabrics woven in Leonardo’s era. In conclusion, Claudia Giorgione, curator of the Museum’s Leonardo Art and Science Department, illustrated the loom built from Leonardo’s design, which is carefully conserved in the museum as a testimony to the immense value of this genius, unrivalled the world over.