Latest news with #KolhapuriSandals
The Guardian
a day ago
- Business
- The Guardian
Prada accused of cashing in on Indian culture with Kolhapuri-inspired sandals
Prada has acknowledged that its new leather sandal design was inspired by India's famous Kolhapuri 'chappals' – handcrafted shoes known for their toe-loop design – after facing criticism over its failure to credit the footwear's origins. 'We acknowledge the sandals … are inspired by traditional Indian handcrafted footwear, with a centuries-old heritage,' Lorenzo Bertelli, the corporate social responsibility chief at the Italian fashion house, said in a letter to the Maharashtra chamber of commerce. The chamber had complained on behalf of thousands of Kolhapuri sandal-makers after images from Prada's Milan runway show showed models wearing the open-toe footwear that was virtually identical to the unisex Indian original. The chamber president, Lalit Gandhi, had said: 'The collection includes footwear designs that bear a close resemblance to Kolhapuri sandals, a traditional handcrafted leather sandal that has been awarded 'geographical indication' status by the government of India in 2019.' The geographical indication tag verifies that a product originates in a specific place. The sandals' origins go back to the 12th century, to the city of Kolhapur in western Maharashtra state. The buffalo-hide shoes with their distinctive braided T-strap are worn by everyone from farmers to millennials and business leaders. The sight of models walking the runway last week in the footwear blandly described as 'leather flat sandals' triggered a widespread backlash in India and charges of 'cultural appropriation'. The row tapped into a broader debate about how global fashion houses frequently repackage traditional craftsmanship as luxury goods without credit or compensation to the original artisans. The sandals, known for their durability, cost about $12 in India, whereas Prada sandals retail for upwards of $800. Indian artisans 'lose, while global brands cash in on our culture,' said Harsh Goenka, the chair of the pharmaceuticals-to-IT conglomerate RPG Group. As photos of the show spread online, Indian outrage mounted. 'From the dusty lanes of Kolhapur to the glitzy runways of Milan … will the world finally give credit where it's due?' asked the news outlet DNA on X. Gandhi asked Prada to seek ways for 'collaboration or fair compensation that could benefit' Indian craftspeople. Bertelli replied the sandals were still in the 'early' design stage, but that Prada was willing to open a 'dialogue for meaningful exchange with local Indian artisans'. 'While Indian artisans and small-scale producers excel in craftsmanship, they rarely have access to capital or business acumen' to position their products globally as luxury goods, Dhanendra Kumar, an ex-World Bank executive director, noted in India's Economic Times. 'By not calling their new line of sandals 'Kolhapuris', Prada is guilty of monetising cultural appropriation,' Kumar said. Still, some believe the row could have an unexpected upside. Sales of the sandals have plateaued in India in recent years, but local designers believe the spotlight could boost interest in the classic design, especially among younger consumers. 'Until now, it hadn't been considered part of the 'cool' or aspirational footwear space in India's luxury market … I truly believe in the ripple effect of what Prada has done,' said Shirin Mann, the founder of Needledust, a label known for its contemporary take on traditional Indian embroidered slip-ons. Mann could be right. Since Prada's runway show, Google Trends has shown a spike in searches for Kolhapuri sandals, and retailers report interest has surged, according to local media.
Daily Mail
2 days ago
- Business
- Daily Mail
Prada forced to acknowledge Indian roots of their new sandal design after being accused of cultural appropriation
Prada has been forced to acknowledge that its new 'leather' shoes were inspired by Indian designs after the Italian fashion house was accused of cultural appropriation. The sandals, showcased last week at Milan Fashion Week, had an open-toe braided pattern that closely resembled the traditional Kolhapuri sandals made in the Indian states of Maharashtra and Karnataka. In official descriptions, Prada characterized the sandals as 'leather footwear' - omitting its Indian origins. Responding to the backlash, a Prada spokesperson admitted that the sandals were influenced by traditional Indian footwear. They added: 'Prada has always celebrated craftsmanship, heritage and design traditions. 'Prada acknowledges that sandals inspired by traditional Indian footwear made in specific districts in Maharashtra and Karnataka, India, were featured in its Men's 2026 Spring Summer show in Milan. 'We are committed to responsible design practices, fostering cultural engagement. 'We are in contact with the Maharashtra Chamber of Commerce, Industry & Agriculture on this topic. Made from leather and often dyed in natural colours, the traditional handmade sandals which typically cost just a few hundred rupees (around £2.50) are well suited to India's hot climate. Last week the head of the Maharashtra Chamber of Commerce, Industry & Agriculture wrote to Prada criticising the group for not crediting the artisans who had preserved the heritage of the traditional Kolhapuri sandals. Responding, Lorenzo Bertelli, Prada's head of Corporate Social Responsibility wrote in a letter addressed to the Maharashtra Chamber of Commerce, Industry & Agriculture that Prada would organise follow-up meetings with local Indian artisans to create a 'dialogue for meaningful exchange'. He added: 'The sandals are at an early stage of design and it is not certain they will be commercialized. Made from leather and often dyed in natural colours, the traditional handmade sandals which typically cost just a few hundred rupees (around £2.50) are well suited to India's hot climate. It is not known how much Prada would charge for these leather shoes but Prada's typical footwear costs customers between £600 to £1,000. This is not the first time that global brands have been accused of appropriating traditional designs without due accreditation. In 2016 Victoria's Secret was accused of cultural appropriation after Adriana Lima, Elsa Hosk and Lais Ribeiro—who are not Chinese by descent—wore Asian-inspired looks that featured a feathered dragon, a qipao-like bolero, and Chinese knot tassels. Meanwhile, Marc Jacobs caused anger when his Spring 2017 runway show featured dreadlock extensions on a cast of mainly white models including Karlie Kloss, Gigi Hadid and Bella Hadid.
Times
2 days ago
- Business
- Times
Prada admits its £600 sandals were ‘inspired by' £10 Indian staple
The Italian luxury brand Prada has responded to a backlash over its failure to acknowledge the origin of a new line in men's sandals by conceding that it was inspired by a traditional Indian design. The open-toe men's footwear, which featured in a recent catwalk collection in Milan, were labelled simply as 'leather sandals'. With prices starting from £600, however, the design provoked uproar in India, where very similar sandals have been famous since the 13th century, fashioned by craftsmen in the dusty bylanes of Kolhapur in Maharashtra and often sold for less than £10. The traditional sandals, made of buffalo hide, are bought in their millions by Indians who regard them both as heritage items and objects of everyday use. The similarity with Prada's latest design prompted Lalit Gandhi, president of the Maharashtra chamber of commerce, to complain to the Italian fashion house. • The 'wonderbra' for men, and nine other new menswear trends 'It has come to public attention that the collection includes footwear designs that bear a close resemblance to Kolhapuri sandals, a traditional handcrafted leather sandal that has been awarded 'geographical indication' status by the government of India in 2019,' Gandhi said. Comments by Indians on X were less measured. 'Shame on you Prada for not having the decency to give credit to Kolhapuri artists. At a price of $844 and up, this is a shameless cash grab.' Prada responded: 'We acknowledge that the sandals … are inspired by traditional Indian handcrafted footwear, with a centuries-old heritage.' The braided, handcrafted sandals are sold all over India. To begin with, they can feel hard and uncomfortable but soon the leather softens and wearers say the comfort is matched by longevity — they last for years. Their other distinctive feature is that they are worn by Indians of all classes, even the poor, as they are affordable and so versatile they can be worn with jeans or a lavish traditional wedding outfit. • Super-soft suede drawstring chinos? Welcome to the new business uniform Gandhi also urged Prada to explore possibilities for 'collaboration or fair compensation that could benefit the artisans involved'. This echoes recent efforts by Indian designers to help traditional craftsmen to update their designs to give them a more contemporary look and use colours more suited to today's sensibilities. The goal is to help such artisans fetch a higher price for their handmade goods and lift them out of poverty. Prada replied to Gandhi's suggestion for collaboration by saying it was open to a 'dialogue for meaningful exchange with local Indian artisans'. For some Indians, the failure to give credit to local artistry reeked of cavalier insouciance, if not brazen cultural appropriation. It revived memories of an earlier row over the distinctive 'paisley' motif that was named after the Scottish town of Paisley, while the actual design — a teardrop shape with a bent tip — derives from Kashmir. • The best new clothes, shoes and accessories for summer 2025 Shawls with this motif, originally handwoven in Kashmir, were exported to Europe as a fashion accessory in the 19th century, inspiring enthusiastic patrons such as Joséphine de Beauharnais, Napoleon's first wife. To make it more affordable, Europeans began copying the design using mechanised looms. Paisley became a centre of production and gradually all shawls bearing the Indian motif came to be known as Paisley shawls.
BBC News
2 days ago
- Business
- BBC News
Prada: Luxury label acknowledges Indian roots of footwear design after backlash
Italian luxury fashion label Prada has said it acknowledges the Indian roots of its new footwear line, days after the design sparked a controversy in sandals, showcased at the Milan Fashion Week last week, had an open-toe braided pattern that closely resembled the traditional Kolhapuri sandals made in the Indian states of Maharashtra and described the sandals as "leather footwear" but did not mention its Indian origins, prompting backlash and allegations of cultural appropriation in to the controversy, Prada told the BBC in a statement that it recognises that the sandals are inspired by traditional Indian footwear. A Prada spokesperson said that the company has "always celebrated craftsmanship, heritage and design traditions", adding that it was "in contact with the Maharashtra Chamber of Commerce, Industry & Agriculture on this topic". Last week, a prominent trade organisation had written to the brand, saying the design was commercialised without crediting the artisans who have preserved its heritage for Bertelli, Prada's head of Corporate Social Responsibility, responded to his letter saying that the sandals were "at an early stage of design", according to Reuters. He also said that Prada was open to a "dialogue for meaningful exchange with local Indian artisans" and the company would organise follow-up meetings to discuss this after a city in Maharashtra where it is made, Kolhapuri sandals trace their roots back to the 12th from leather and sometimes dyed in natural colours, the traditional handcrafted sandals are sturdy and well-suited to India's hot were awarded the Geographical Indication (GI) status by the Indian government in to the World Trade Organisation, a geographical indication tag credits a good or product as having originated from a certain region or place, and is considered a mark of the controversy, many artisans in Kolhapur said they were saddened by Prada's use of the design without giving due credit."These sandals are made with the hard work of leather workers in Kolhapur. They should be named after Kolhapur. Don't take advantage of others' labour," Prabha Satpute, a Kolhapuri artisan, told BBC sandals cost a few hundreds rupees in India but Prada's premium pricing angered Harsh Goenka highlighted this, saying the local artisans barely make any money for the same hand-made products. "They lose, while global brands cash in on our culture," he is not the first time that global brands have been accused to appropriating Indian traditional products without crediting their the 2025 Cannes Film Festival, Gucci described a sari worn by Bollywood star Alia Bhatt as a gown, sparking in May, a popular TikTok trend was criticised for calling dupatta, a traditional South Asian scarf, a Scandinavian Kolhapur, however, some said the move had instilled a sense of pride in them."Artisans are happy that someone is recognising their work," Kolhapur-based businessman Dileep More told Reuters. Follow BBC News India on Instagram, YouTube, X and Facebook
