VOIWORLD/Desk
Voices are growing louder against Italian luxury fashion house Prada’s whose showcase of the Kolhapuri chappal-inspired footwear – T-strapped, flat and intricately braided – at the Spring/Summer 2026 menswear collection in Milan earlier this week has sparked outrage
Some call it blatantly copying the design without giving any credit to Indian craftsmentwho are mainly from Maharashthra’s Kolhapur region
The Italian luxury firm has also drawn censure from artisans of Kolhapur, where the humble footwear originated in the 12th century awarded a GI (Geographical Indication) tag by the Government of India in 2019.
In India a pair of Kolhapuri chappal is sold at upto Rs 5000 while its luxe avatar by Prada is priced at Rs 1.2 lakh.
A delegation of Kolhapuri chappal manufacturers met chief minister Devendra Fadnavis on Thursday requesting him to scale up the case of the brand creating a replica of their craft with the central government.
The controversy has also taken a political shape with a delegation was led by Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Rajya Sabha MP Dhananjay Mahadik requesting Maharashtra CM to intervene.
Reacting to the controversy, Nationalist Congress Party (SP) MLA Rohit Pawar called it a cultural theft. “Prada’s new sandal, priced approximately at ₹1 lakh, mimics Maharashtra’s GI-tagged #KolhapuriChappal without crediting Kolhapur’s artisans. This isn’t just copying – it’s cultural theft! If Prada won’t respect our heritage by branding it right, the Mahara
