Global fashion giant Prada acknowledges Kolhapuri inspiration

Italian luxury fashion brand Prada has acknowledged being inspired by ‘traditional Indian handcrafted footwear, with a centuries-old heritage’ for its sandals featured in the recent Men’s Spring/Summer 2026 collection, after being slammed for failing to acknowledge the resemblance to India’s GI-tagged Kolhapuri chappals.

Representatives of Maharashtra Chamber of Commerce, Industry and Agriculture, which communicated with Prada, said that Prada was likely to send its team to explore any possibility of collaboration on the product in the near future. Meanwhile, the business body has decided to patent the Kolhapuri chappals to avoid any infringement of rights in the future.

The Kolhapuri Chappal makers have also welcomed Prada’s acknowledgement, but have expressed an expectation that the brand should do more to help their trade.

Also Read | Meet the real artisans behind India’s iconic Kolhapuri chappals — now in the global spotlight

Two days after the Maharashtra Chamber of Commerce, Industry and Agriculture (MACCIA) wrote to Patrizio Bertelli, chairperson of Prada’s Board of Directors, the company responded, “We deeply recognise the cultural significance of such Indian craftsmanship. Please note that, for now, the entire collection is currently at an early stage of design development, and none of the pieces are confirmed to be produced or commercialised. We are committed to responsible design practices, fostering cultural engagement, and opening a dialogue for a meaningful exchange with local Indian artisan communities, as we have done in the past in other collections to ensure the rightful recognition of their craft. Prada strives to pay homage and recognise the value of such specialised craftspeople that represent an unrivalled standard of excellence and heritage.”

The letter was written to MACCIA’s president Lalit Gandhi, by Lorenzo Bertelli, Prada Group head of corporate social responsibility, on Friday (June 27, 2025). “Prada has shown good ethics now. This has led to the acknowledgement of our traditional craft on a global platform. We had made three demands to them in the communication we had sent to them on June 25. They were that Prada should acknowledge the inspiration behind the design publicly; they should explore the possibilities for collaboration or fair compensation that could benefit the artisan communities involved; and that they should consider supporting ethical fashion practices that respect traditional knowledge and cultural rights,” Lalit Gandhi, president of MACCIA, told The Hindu from Kolhapur. He said that the chamber is a 100-year-old body, and its goodwill in Europe and the U.S. helped it to receive an immediate acknowledgement from the global giant.

Kolhapuri chappals on display at a footwear store in New Delhi.
| Photo Credit:
Reuters

The letter written by MACCIA to Prada stated, “Such a gesture would not only uphold ethical standards in global fashion, but also foster a meaningful exchange between heritage craftsmanship and contemporary design. We trust that a brand of Prada’s stature and influence will take this concern in the right spirit and initiate a thoughtful response.”

Patent plan

Collaborating with the artisans and businesses, MACCIA has now decided to patent the Kolhapuri chappals to avoid any global infringement in the future.

“The GI tag is given by the Indian government. It is not sufficient in the international market. We need to patent our products. This incident has opened our eyes. We have now formed a separate wing. We will patent not just the Kolhapuri chappals, but also Kolhapur’s jaggery,” Mr. Gandhi said.

“Everyone is blaming Prada for basing its designs on the Kolhapuri chappals. But I think they have done us a favour by taking our brand and making it global,” said Shivaraj Soudagar, who runs the Athani Kolhapuri chappal cluster, a micro industry that produces the footwear in Belagavi.

“Leaders and government officers are talking about taking Prada to court. But we would like them to help us improve our designs and sell them. I want Prada to realise that an average chappal maker in Athani, Nippani or surrounding villages like Madabhavi earns between ₹250 – ₹400 per pair. The middlemen who transport those goods sell them for ₹1,500 – ₹2,000 in Pune and Mumbai. The retailer sells them for up to ₹4,000 per pair. We would like a system where our goods are exported and the profits are shared with us. If the Italian company is selling them for over one lakh rupees, we would be happy even if we get 10% of that amount,” he said.