High Fashion's Habit Of 'Borrowing' From India Isn't New. Prada's Kolhapuri Chappals Are Just The Latest

NDTV

5 hours ago

Watching India shine on global runway is a moment of pride for fashion experts and enthusiasts. Whether it's Rahul Mishra enchanting audiences at the Paris Couture Week, Gaurav Gupta sculpting drama with his gowns at the Met Gala, or Indian embroidery being praised by luxury houses like Dior - our fashion identity is finally getting its moment. And we're all here for it.
But this celebration often comes with a sour note. When international fashion labels take Indian craft for granted. They remix, rebrand and repackage traditional Indian design - presenting it as their own, with zero mention of its origins.
The same design sensibilities, the same textile legacy, and the same embroidery techniques are served on a fancier platter, often without acknowledging where the ingredients came from. Take Prada, as the latest example. The luxury label recently showcased Kolhapuri chappals on the runway at Milan, reportedly priced at over Rs 1.25 lakh.
The Kolhapuri chappals is not just a pair of sandals - it's a heritage craft that dates back to the 12th century, traditionally handmade by cobblers in Maharashtra and Karnataka. Yet, the brand made no effort to credit this legacy.
Unfortunately, this isn't a one-off case. Luxury labels have a long history of "borrowing" from India - sometimes calling it a source of inspiration, and at other times not even bothering with that excuse. Over time, we've seen a clear pattern emerge: Indian fashion is either branded as something exotic, spiritual, or earthy, or it's simply repurposed under a western label, with no trace of its actual roots.
Alia Bhatt's Met Gala Saga
Alia Bhatt's high profile debut at the 2025 Cannes Film Festival in May became a point of contention when Gucci, in its official post, referred to her outfit as a gown. This directly contradicted Alia's own statement, where she proudly said she was wearing a saree -inspired ensemble.
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It might sound small, but it's not-especially when the entire essence of the look is rooted in Indian tradition. Things escalated further when internet users noticed the look bore striking similarities to a lehenga by Indian brand Talking Threads, led by Pearl Uppal. Was it inspiration? Or a quiet lift? Either way, credit was nowhere to be found.
Rapsodia Versus Anupamaa Dayal
Delhi-based veteran designer Anupamaa Dayal's bad experience brought another layer to this troubling trend. Known for spiritual symbolism and detailed botanical motifs in her designs, Dayal discovered that several of her designs had been allegedly copied by international fashion chain Rapsodia.
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It started in March 2025, when a woman named Gunjeet Kaur turned up at Dayal's Mehrauli studio and introduced herself as the Indian representative of the Argentinian label Rapsodia. Soon after, Dayal spotted strikingly similar designs on the brand's Instagram page. "They had copied in total," she alleged in her social media post.
Dayal's efforts to confront the brand were met with silence and dismissive responses. She was even asked to produce trademarks and patents to prove ownership, revealing the murky legal protection available to independent designers, especially in fashion where copyright laws often fail to fully cover creative work.
But Dayal didn't back down. She sent a legal notice to Rapsodia, demanding a formal apology from the brand. "It's shaken me," she said, "but it's also reminded me of the relevance of my work."
The Scandinavian Scarf Incident
Then came the infamous "Scandinavian scarf" saga, which is still unfolding. A classic case of cultural whitewashing went viral when western influencers and fashion platforms began showcasing the humble Indian dupatta-calling it a "Scandi girl scarf" or "European-core accessory". Not only was the terminology off, but there was an outright refusal to acknowledge that what was being presented as a fresh trend had been part of South Asian culture for centuries.
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And this wasn't an isolated case. Saree blouses have been marketed as "Ibiza-style summer tops", kurtis turned into "sheer strappy dresses", and dupattas rebranded for European audiences with hashtags that completely erase their heritage. Indians and Indian NRIs were quick to clap back, using humour, memes, and powerful posts on social media to remind the world where these so-called trends actually came from.
The Dior Sharara And Beyond
When beauty influencer Chiara King recently wore a three-piece Dior outfit that looked suspiciously like a sharara complete with a dupatta, there was, once again, no mention of the Indian silhouette.
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And this wasn't Dior's first rodeo. Back in 2018, Delhi-based studio People Tree accused the French fashion house of copying one of their block prints for a red cotton dress in the Cruise 2018 collection.
The original design had been handcrafted for over 15 years by Rajasthani block printers, many of whom struggle to sustain a livelihood. That Dior would not only replicate the design but also profit from it at a much higher margin - without any credit - struck many as deeply unfair. Ironically, that same dress was worn by Sonam Kapoor for a magazine cover, bringing even more visibility to a product that had erased its true creators.
The Indy Turban Ft Gucci
In 2019, Gucci sparked major controversy when it released a turban-style head wrap priced at Rs 68,000 ($790), called the "Indy Full Turban". Both the name and the accessory were seen as culturally insensitive towards Sikhism, a religion where the turban holds sacred value.
Wow. @Gucci and @Nordstrom are selling turbans as fashion items.
We're attacked and killed for how we look, and now corporations get to profit off that same look?
Feels wrong to me. Your thoughts? https://t.co/Em9UELbkTB
— Simran Jeet Singh (@simran) May 15, 2019
After intense online backlash, the product name was changed to "Indy Full Head Wrap", but the damage was done. The incident highlighted how cultural items can be trivialised when divorced from their significance.
The Nath and the Jean Paul Gaultier Show
At Jean Paul Gaultier's Fall/Winter 2017 show in Paris, models walked the ramp in saree-inspired silhouettes and traditional nath, a Indian term for nose rings.
While the visual might have been stunning, it also raised eyebrows. These accessories, rooted in the history of maharajas and still worn by Indian women today, were showcased with little to no cultural context - turning a deeply personal symbol into just another runway prop.
So, Where's The Line?
These examples, sadly, aren't rare. They are recurring patterns in the global fashion system, where Indian heritage becomes a moodboard reference, not a legacy to be respected. And while inspiration is natural, there's a fine line between that and appropriation. The difference lies in credit, collaboration, and fair compensation.
It's time the fashion world takes a long, hard look at how it treats Indian craft and artisans. From Kolhapuri chappals to block prints, from shararas to naths, they are stories, skills, and generations of labour. When brands fail to acknowledge that, they aren't just borrowing, they're erasing an entire culture.