Astha Pandey/VOIWORLD
Admire the stitch, but don’t snatch the story.
When Prada unveiled what looked unmistakably like Kolhapuri chappals on the Milan runway priced at a jaw-dropping ₹1.2 lakh ($1,400 approx)—the internet did what the internet does best: it reminded the world who actually stitched that story first.
The backlash was loud, rooted, and richly deserved. So much so that the Prada delegation quietly made its way to Kolhapur, the land that gave birth to the legendary footwear as early as the 12th century.
Hand-stitched and every piece unique Kolhapuris have never needed a Milan spotlight to
prove their worth. But they do need credit and more than just a mere mention in a luxury
catalogue.
Genuine Kolhapuris in India retail anywhere between ₹1,000–₹4,000, with handcrafted
labor costing artisans ₹500–₹2,000 a pair. The cultural theft here isn’t just visual, it’s
economic. While artisans quietly preserve techniques passed down for centuries, global
brands slap a new name, a new tag, and often, an eye-watering price, without as much
as a namaste in return.
Let’s also talk about law. The Kolhapuri chappal earned a Geographical Indication (GI)
tag in 2019, which should protect its authenticity, craftsmanship, and origin from
precisely this kind of aesthetic colonization. The GI tag isn’t just a bureaucratic badge,
it’s a boundary line.
It says, “This belongs somewhere. This means something. This has a soul.”
Yet global designers routinely cross that line—repurposing, rebranding, and retailing
culture without credit or conscience. And while cultural inspiration is not a crime, not
giving due credit is.
This isn’t a one-off faux pas. Remember Nordstrom’s infamous “Indian souvenir bag”? It
was, in essence, a humble Indian jhola, rebranded and sold for $48.40. Or how about the
desi dupatta that’s now strutting the West as a “Scandinavian scarf”? It’s appropriated
with a gloss finish and a rebranded identity.
The question isn’t “Can fashion borrow?”
The question is “Who gets paid, praised, and remembered when it does?”
We live in a world where “inspiration” too often skips the acknowledgment part. But
heritage is not a Pinterest board. Real artisans are not moodboards, they are makers of
meaning.
The next time luxury brands step into India’s rich tapestry for ideas, may they also step
into history with humility.
