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yesterday

Prada Admits Inspiration From Kolhapuri Chappals, Engages Indian Artisans

Artisan leaders are calling for empowered producer associations to secure legal protections, ensuring heritage crafts gain economic recognition.

Louis Vuitton is among the luxury houses that have opened flagship stores across India in the last three years. Pictured is its boutique in New Delhi.
Gucci made headlines for showing a “Indy Full Turban,” which closely resembled the style of turbans worn by millions of Sikhs around the world, at a runway show.
Sabyasachi Mukherjee, who has dressed famous women including Kim Kardashian, made history last year as the first Indian designer to walk the Met Gala red carpet.
Zendaya wore a hand-embroidered sari gown by Rahul Mishra at a high-profile event in Mumbai that same year.

Overview

  • Prada has formally acknowledged that its Milan runway sandals were inspired by traditional Kolhapuri chappals and met with Indian footwear artisans to explore collaboration opportunities.
  • Kolhapuri chappals hold an Indian geographical indication tag that offers domestic protection but requires separate international registrations to prevent overseas copying.
  • Industry experts and media outlets are urging the creation of coordinated producer bodies with legal authority to register and enforce GIs abroad.
  • Artisans warn that without proper attribution and value-chain reforms, craft makers will continue to be under-credited and under-paid when products are assembled or branded overseas.
  • The Prada episode follows similar appropriation cases by Gucci, Reformation and H&M, highlighting persistent institutional gaps in India’s craft-protection framework.