In Milan Fashion Week, Harish Kurade, residing in southern Maharashtra, India, witnessed models showcasing Prada’s open-toe leather sandals on his smartphone. These designs, exhibiting a strong resemblance to Kolhapuri ‘chappals’, stirred controversy due to Prada’s failure to acknowledge the sandals’ ancient Indian roots.
Despite the backlash, Kurade views Prada’s imitation positively, seeing it as potential global exposure for Kolhapuri crafts. However, there are concerns among artisans, politicians, and activists about cultural appropriation and financial exploitation by Prada.
At Milan Fashion Week, Prada unveiled its latest sandal designs without crediting their Indian origins, sparking anger among Kolhapuri artisans and politicians. The Italian luxury brand acknowledged the designs’ inspiration from Indian footwear but stated that none of the pieces were confirmed for production or commercialization.
While some, like Harish Kurade, see Prada’s interest positively, others worry about the lack of proper credit and financial gain for Indian artisans. Prada has faced criticism before for cultural appropriation and has been called upon to engage in a more respectful and
Source: https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2025/7/1/why-is-prada-caught-in-a-sandal-scandal-in-india?traffic_source=rss
