Guwahati: Italian luxury fashion house Prada has formally recognised that its Spring/Summer 2026 men’s collection included sandals closely like India’s traditional Kolhapuri chappals, following a wave of social media criticism and political reaction that accused the brand of cultural seizure and GI violation.
Speaking to Business North East, Prashant Pawar, a freelancer marketing mentor based in Kolhapur and who is one of those who raised voice on the issue said, “This has given a negative publicity to Prada itself. GI tagging is important for the products and producers so that nobody copies it”.
The controversy exploded after images from Prada’s Milan runway featured leather sandals strikingly similar to Kolhapuri chappals handcrafted leather footwear creating from Maharashtra and Karnataka.
Priced at approximately Rs 1.2 lakh, the luxury name tag triggered outrage, with critics pointing out these goods typically retail for just Rs. 300 – Rs. 1,500 in India.
Civil society groups and artisans, including Kolhapuri craft groups, condemned Prada’s failure to credit the design’s origin, calling the move “cultural theft” and “shameless cash grab”.
A delegation of artisan representatives, led by Kolhapur MP Dhananjay Mahadik, appealed to Maharashtra’s Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis to intervene under GI protections
Under pressure, Prada’s Head of Corporate Social Responsibility, Lorenzo Bertelli, issued a letter to the Maharashtra Chamber of Commerce acknowledging the sandals were inspired by traditional Indian footwear and expressed regret for omitting proper attribution. He also announced the brand is open to a “meaningful exchange” and ongoing dialogue with local artisans, emphasizing that the design is still in development and not yet commercialized.
The incident stressed wider tensions around international use of indigenous designs, even those protected by Geographical Indication (GI) tags, as Kolhapuri chappals have been since 2019.
Experts are now pushing for stronger IP protections at global forums like WIPO, as current laws often fail to extend beyond national borders .
Advocates, including designer-activist Laila Tyabji, say the episode underlines the recurring dismissiveness toward Indian heritage crafts, with legacy handwork often overshadowed until later “repackaged” by luxury labels.
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For the Northeast and its Indigenous communities, this serves as a cautionary tale. Many traditional crafts some of which hold GI tags have already been subject to design imitation. The Prada apology shows that sustained advocacy and legal IP mechanisms can prompt accountability, but it also exposes significant gaps in international protection for cultural expressions.
Pawar remarked, “The products in northeast can be protected by GI tagging. This will help the producers.” Some popular products from northeast includes Muga Silk, Gamusa, Assamese Jewellery, Kaji Lemon from Assam, Ryndia Silk from Meghalaya, etc.
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