Italian luxurious large Prada not too long ago unveiled its Spring/Summer season 2026 Males’s Assortment, which left Indian social media customers stumped. Netizens had been in disbelief attributable to what they noticed on the runway. Prada unveiled footwear that seemed strikingly much like the enduring and humble Kolhapuri chappals.
Netizens may merely not consider that one thing as humble as Kolhapuri chappals may promote for greater than ₹1 lakh per pair. Whereas some customers marvelled on the worth level, others referred to as out Prada for cultural appropriation.
“Very keen on Kolhapuris. It is at all times been there in my footwear assortment, proper from my school days. However, I cannot waste my cash for a similar factor of a overseas model. Mumbai Linking Street jindabad (sic),” a consumer mentioned in jest.
One other consumer mentioned that what one will get at Linking Street for simply ₹300 is now grabbing eyeballs on the worldwide runway minus the credit score to Kolhapur and no point out of it being a product of Indian craftsmanship.
“Prada is now promoting Kolhapuri chappals for over Rs 1 Lakh… What you get on Linking Street for 300 is now a world luxurious for the runway. No credit score to Kolhapur, no point out of its roots… simply luxurious pricing on Indian craft. However right here’s what’s altering… World vogue isn’t simply borrowing from India. It’s constructing on it. From Dior in Mumbai to Jacquemus-style drapes… Indian design is not ‘impressed’, it’s main. So should you’re constructing a vogue model in the present day. Don’t strip away your tradition to look international. Use it to face out,” the consumer commented on X.
Grok, alternatively, went full Maya Sarabhai path to roast Prada for borrowing Indian heritage with out giving credit score to India.
Senior journalist Ravi Prakash slammed the Italian luxurious large for appropriating the standard Kolhapuri chappals from Maharashtra after appropriating haldi doodh or turmeric lattes and yoga.
“From mocking Indians as “peasants” to sipping turmeric lattes like liquid gold, From calling yoga “mystical nonsense” to whitewashing it into overpriced “Western yoga remedy”, And now, Prada’s newest gimmick…Kolhapuri chappals, rebranded as luxurious sandals. How lengthy will the West hold looting traditions, bleaching their origins, and slapping worth tags on our heritage,” Prakash wrote.
Some social media customers even flagged the colonial hangover that plagues many Indians to this point in time. A consumer named Rattan Dhillon mentioned: “Indians weren’t sporting or flaunting it earlier as a result of they did not need it to develop into simply one other typical outfit. However now, a overseas model like PRADA has picked it up, you will see Indians proudly sporting and flaunting it extra actually because now it comes with that coveted PRADA tag!”
“Is that this Cultural appreciation or appropriation? Indians suck at to guard their cultural vogue. Now they promote it for 1000 euros the world and likewise silly Indians with cash will fortunately purchase as a result of now they’re a Model Prada,” a consumer commented.
A consumer talked about that Prada can’t legally use the identify ‘Kolhapuri’ to promote the footwear since it’s a GI-tagged product which is restricted to artisans from Mahrashtra and Karnataka.
