A REVIEW OF THE COLOUR, DESIGN, CONSTRUCTION, AND TECHNOLOGY TRENDS AT THIS YEAR’S FAIR
Journal
Proposte
Annie Moir, James Dunlop Design Director, and Stephanie Moffitt, Mokum Design Director
Outdoor textiles at Proposte
Proposte 2024
Our Mokum and James Dunlop Design Directors recently visited our European suppliers in Belgium and Italy, and attended Proposte, an annual textiles fair on the shores of Lake Como. In this article they share the slow evolution of textile trends led by the world’s most influential textile mills.
Italian mill visits during Proposte
Colour
Colour
At Proposte itself, but also in Europe’s luxury retail stores, we noticed an abundance of military mid-tones such as beige, taupe, soft greens, khaki browns, and camel tones with reoccurring accents in shades of lilac, citron, and sky blue.
Design
Design
The contemporary take on traditional designs remains prevalent. Across our supplier’s offerings we saw large-scale loose geometrics, woven geometrics, and deconstructed plaids and checks.
Geometric designs at Proposte
Construction
Construction
Shifts in trending textile constructions and compositions were subtle.
Boucle upholsteries remain present with increased complexity drawn from the addition of chenille yarns, alongside the revisiting of standalone dimensional high-pile chenille popular through the late 1990s.
For drapery, heavily textured weaves with a thick and warm upholstery aesthetic are coming strongly to the fore.
Technology
Technology
Sustainability remains front of mind for our industry.
The seemingly continuous price increases and limited availability of linen for drapery production are driving the development of alternative fibres. Yarn innovations in sustainable qualities, especially hemp, cotton, lyocell, as well as the blending of these fibres with a small amount of linen to achieve the coveted ‘linen-look’ was visible across all mills.
Recycled content is gaining popularity in outdoor upholsteries, but innovations such as Seaquel which is constructed from recycled marine waste and even bio-degradable synthetic fibres are becoming commonplace.
The demand for 340cm+ wide-width sheer draperies continues to increase and these super wide options are beginning to be crafted by multiple mills within the industry.
The textiles industry was revolutionised by the introduction of digital printing in the 1980s. Not only cleaner to produce and requiring far less water than traditional printing methods, such as hand-block or silk screen, digital printing also allowed exact replications of designs to be produced ...
