What The Global Fashion Industry Can Learn From Prada-Kolhapuri Sandals Deal

When Prada revealed its leather sandals at Milan Fashion Week, the reaction in India was immediate. As many pointed out, the design was unmistakably Kolhapuri chappals, handcrafted footwear with centuries of history, and deep cultural roots in Maharashtra and Karnataka. What followed was outrage, debate, and eventually, correction.

The Prada–Kolhapuri episode is not just about cultural appropriation or brand backlash; it is a revealing case study of how the global fashion industry continues to rebrand the old as new, acknowledge origins only after pressure, and occasionally learn something meaningful in the process.

Rebranding Tradition as Innovation

Luxury fashion thrives on storytelling, but increasingly those stories are built on borrowed histories. As brands scramble to appear fresh, “authentic,” and rooted, they turn to traditional crafts and indigenous aesthetics.

Kolhapuri chappals are not forgotten; they are a living tradition, worn daily, produced by skilled artisans whose work has endured without global validation. 

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When such designs are stripped of context and sold as luxury innovation, the issue is not inspiration; it is invisibility.

Credit Came After Pointing

Prada’s eventual acknowledgement of the sandals’ Indian roots did not come voluntarily. It followed sustained public criticism and pressure from artisan groups.

According to BBC News, Prada is launching a line of $930 'Made in India' sandals, produced by artisans in Maharashtra and Karnataka.

Recognition that arrives only after reputational risk exposes how conditional respect can be in global fashion. Still, acknowledgement, even delayed,  is better than denial.

Prada did not dismiss the criticism; instead, it revised its stance, credited the Kolhapuri craft, and opened conversations about collaboration

From Backlash to Engagement

The Prada team’s visit to India and discussions around producing“Made in India” sandals signalled a move towards engagement. 

A meaningful collaboration must extend beyond limited editions and photo opportunities. The intent is promising; the execution will determine its credibility.

It should involve fair wages, sustained partnerships, and transparent credit that places artisans at the centre, not the margins of the narrative. 

What the Industry Can Learn

The larger lesson here is uncomfortable but necessary. First, cultural credit should be foundational, not a damage-control strategy.

Second, consumers today are paying attention. They expect brands to engage ethically, not just aesthetically.

Heritage is no longer a free resource; it carries moral and economic responsibilities.The Prada-Kolhapuri deal does not end with a clean resolution. 

It leaves behind questions about pricing, profit-sharing, and long-term benefit for artisans. Yet it also offers a rare glimpse of an industry being forced to rethink.

If luxury fashion is serious about drawing from the past, it must learn to do so with accountability and respect. Otherwise, it will keep repeating the same mistake, just with a different craft and a different culture.

Views expressed by the author are their own.