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Daily Mail
6 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.
BBC News
6 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
