COMO, Italy — “It’s OK, take it all in. Take your time,” Giovanna Massoni, curator of Lake Como Design Festival, said on Wednesday at Villa del Grumello, built in the 15th century as an aristocratic home overlooking the splendor of Lake Como. The view was indeed worthwhile as Mirage, a swathe of fabric made by Swedish textile designer Selma Wallbom, blew in the wind while offering a poetic, pixelated image of a soft hydroplane landing in the distance.

The founders of the Lake Como Design Festival, now in its seventh edition running Sept. 14 to 21, said Como-based hotels like Il Sereno , Hilton Lake Como and the Mandarin Oriental, combined with the influx of foreign residents to the lakeside towns, have helped boost the fair’s visitors.

“It’s really about building connections and l

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