Italian luxury fashion house Prada has officially acknowledged that its Spring/Summer 2026 men’s runway collection in Milan included sandals inspired by traditional Indian Kolhapuri chappals—a centuries-old leather footwear from Maharashtra—after facing a wave of public criticism for initially failing to credit their origins . The footwear, originally labeled simply as “leather flat sandals” and priced at around ₹1.2 lakh, sparked sharp backlash over alleged cultural appropriation and the erasure of Indian artisans, whose handmade chappals, valued at just ₹300–₹1,500 locally, carry a GI (Geographical Indication) tag . Artisans from Kolhapur have accused Prada of violating GI rights and even raised the issue with Maharashtra’s Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, urging legal action and formal recognition . As discussions escalate, voices in India are calling for stronger IP protections like patents or GI enforcement to safeguard traditional crafts and ensure designers collaborate respectfully with local artisans.

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