Luxury fashion brand Prada has announced that it will work with Indian artisans who make traditional Kolhapuri sandals. This comes after the brand faced backlash for showcasing a sandal design at Milan Fashion Week that looked very similar to Kolhapuri chappals but was simply labeled as “leather sandals.”
Kolhapuri chappals are handmade leather sandals that come from Kolhapur, a town in Maharashtra, India. They are part of India’s cultural and craft heritage and are worn by millions across the country. Many Indian fashion experts and politicians criticized Prada for not giving proper credit to Indian craftsmanship.
In response, Prada held a meeting with the Maharashtra Chamber of Commerce, which represents 3,000 Kolhapuri sandal makers. They discussed future collaborations, and Prada confirmed that its supply chain team will now meet with different artisanal footwear manufacturers in India.
Lorenzo Bertelli, the son of Prada’s owners and head of the company’s social responsibility division, also joined the talks. The Chamber shared photos from the virtual meeting and said this move could be a model for respectful partnerships between global brands and traditional craft communities.
After the public criticism, Prada acknowledged the Indian roots of the design. Meanwhile, the Maharashtra Chamber of Commerce said it will now patent the Kolhapuri chappals to protect the traditional design from being copied without permission in the future.
This collaboration could help support Indian artisans and give them global recognition for their work.
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