The small western Indian town of Kolhapur has become the center of a global debate after thousands of local artisans accused luxury fashion label Prada of copying their designs for traditional leather footwear without giving them any credit.
Inside a dimly lit workshop in Kolhapur, the rhythmic pounding of hammers can be heard. It’s there that 58-year-old Sadashiv Sanake spends the day making the well-known Kolhapuri leather sandals that sell for about $8-10 a pair.
The craft is carried out by only about 5,000 artisans, and Sadashiv Sanake told the BBC, “I learnt this craft as a child.” It is a small cottage industry that competes with mechanised factories and suffers from poor working conditions and low wages.
However, artisans got angry when Italian luxury brand Prada launched a new line of footwear that bore a strong resemblance to the Kolhapuri sandals, but did not mention the origin of the design. The artisans labelled Prada’s actions as cultural appropriation.
It is not the first time a global fashion brand has been accused of using Indian handicrafts. Many big labels have used Indian fabrics and embroidery work, with little to no collaboration with artists. The controversy could bring recognition and better
Source: https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cly801q2pw7o
