Amid mounting backlash over alleged cultural appropriation, Italian luxurious vogue home Prada will maintain a digital assembly with the Maharashtra Chamber of Commerce, Trade and Agriculture (MACCIA) on July 11, 2025, to discover a possible collaboration. If profitable, this initiative might mark a uncommon occasion of equitable engagement between international vogue manufacturers and conventional artisans.
The MACCIA formally addressed the difficulty in a letter to Prada, expressing dismay on the commercialisation of a heritage product with out honouring the artisans accountable for it. These artisans have safeguarded the Kolhapuri custom for generations. In response, Prada’s head of company social accountability, Lorenzo Bertelli, acknowledged the Indian roots of the design and indicated that the product was nonetheless in its early design levels. He additionally welcomed “a meaningful dialogue with local Indian artisans”, as per international media stories.
Prada-Kolhapuri row has reignited the controversy on cultural appropriation in vogue, after the model showcased sandals resembling India’s conventional Kolhapuris.
Following backlash, Prada will meet MACCIA on July 11, to discover a world collaboration with Indian artisans.
If profitable, the transfer might mark a turning level in fostering moral engagement between vogue homes and craft communities.
The transfer follows widespread outrage in India after Prada showcased ‘toe ring leather sandals’ at Milan Vogue Week final month. The design drew rapid comparisons to conventional Kolhapuri sandals—handcrafted leather-based footwear with centuries-old roots within the Indian states of Maharashtra and Karnataka. The controversy has reignited the worldwide debate on cultural appropriation within the vogue business, highlighting the necessity for extra moral engagement with conventional crafts.
Kolhapuri sandals will not be solely a cultural emblem but additionally carry historic and geographical significance. Recognised with a Geographical Indication (GI) standing by the Indian authorities in 2019, these sandals date again to the twelfth century. Handcrafted from leather-based and dyed utilizing pure colors, they’re recognized for his or her sturdiness and suitability for India’s local weather.
Nevertheless, this isn’t an remoted incident. The style business has seen a rising sample of cultural appropriation this 12 months.
A viral TikTok development dubbed the ‘Scandinavian scarf’ was rapidly recognized by South Asian influencers as a dupatta—a garment integral to South Asian girls’s apparel for hundreds of years. The development, launched with none historic context, was extensively criticised for repackaging conventional South Asian vogue as a novel Western invention.
On June 27, Dior offered a coat that includes mukaish embroidery—a standard metallic threadwork from Lucknow—at a Paris runway present. Regardless of the frilly use of Indian craftsmanship, Dior didn’t credit score the artisans, prompting additional criticism for the erasure of cultural contributions.
The Prada-Kolhapuri controversy could but change into a watershed second. If the model’s proposed collaboration with Indian artisans materialises, it might pave the way in which for extra moral practices in vogue—the place cultural change replaces exploitation, and credit score is given the place it’s lengthy overdue.
