Prada, an Italian iconic fashion brand, was known for its eye-appealing innovation in the fashion industry. Whose one silly act left it with the tag of #chappalchor. It all started in late June 2025, when Prada launched their Leather Sandals in Milan Fashion Week. In Prada’s event that showcases its new Spring Summer 2026 Men’s fashion collection. This time, something unlikely happened, and the images of the event went viral, especially in India. The interesting part was that no outfit came into the spotlight of the Indians, but the Leather Sandals did.
What Prada claims their innovation was already Indian courtesy. In the name of leather sandals, they were simply selling Indian Kolhapuri Chappals. Indians at first looked at it with pride, of their fashion getting recognised globally. The pride soon turns into anger after knowing there was no mention of India anywhere. Prada just didn’t stop there, but they made sure to steal with pride. Prada priced its leather sandals at 1.2 lakhs, even though you can get the same style in India for 500–600.
Why is Prada’s act a big deal?
Others might ask this question, but for India, it was different. The Kolhapuri chappals aren’t simply an Indian innovation, but their heritage. The footwear is perfectly blended with Art and Passion. For over 8 centuries, the Kolhapuri chappals have been deeply tied to Indian culture. This art was first introduced in the 12th-13th century in Kolhapur, Maharashtra.
The original Kolhapuris use Vegetable dyes and buffalo hide. They did not use Nails; instead, these are Braided T-strap Style With A Toe Loop. Such craftsmanship was unique and not found anywhere else in the rest of the world. This art received a Geographical Indication(GI) tag in 2019, which binds the footwear to only Maharashtra and Karnataka, legally. History suggests that Karnataka and its people also played a role in making Kolhapuri chappals.
By re-naming the Indian art and pricing it with such a huge amount was Prada’s biggest mistake was. The theft couldn’t stay hidden and immediately came into the limelight of Netizens. People on the internet mocked the act with tags such as “cultural theft” and “shameless cash grab.” Prada neither gives credit nor the benefit to the artisans who originally owned the footwear.
Kolhapuri artisans are totally dependent on their art for survival, and they try to copy it without permission, or giving credit is equal to taking away from them. Along with the culture and heritage, it was pure hard work which required a lot of hard work and effort. Prada, if it labelled these sandals as their own, then both the craftsmanship and survival would be in danger.
Legal actions taken by Indian authorities against Prada
Lalit Gandhi Questions Prada
After the entire issue blew up on social media, it soon reached government officials. They looked into the matter deeply and took the required actions. Lalit Gandhi, president of the Maharashtra Chamber of Commerce, industry and agriculture, along with artisans, raised questions on Prada publicly. Demand for acknowledgement of the stolen art was the sound, first to reach Prada’s ears. A few manufacturers of the article met Maharashtra’s CM, Devendra Fadnavis, to register their protest legally. In the middle of this, BJP Rajya Sabha MP Dhananjay Mahadik made a statement. He said that they are in the process of filing a Public Interest Litigation in the Bombay High Court against Prada. Adding to this, he also mentioned that he will meet Union Minister Piyush Goyal in this regard.
Rohit Pawar’s Allegations on Prada
Politicians such as Rohit Pawar, MLA of the Nationalist Congress Party, also raised their concerns through the social media platform X.
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 Maharashtra government must act against such #ChappalChor.
Mr Shete said, We, 20000 manufacturers of Kolhapuri chappals, have come together. We are here for Prada to condemn. He then mentioned he will also send a memorandum to the Sant Rohidas Charmodyog Vikas Mahamandal to take action in this matter. Later, he claims to involve the District Collector, the State government, and the Union government in this matter and is going to ask for their help.
He shows their deep denial by refusing to accept the theft of their legacy. They can’t simply call it leather sandals; we have a GI tag for this. It is our heritage that stays with us; what benefits will the manufacturers have after this? Mr Shete also said, they should’ve come to India and then bought these from us. They can’t simply sell them for lakhs after buying them for 400-500.
Mr Mahadik’s Letter to Maharashtra’s CM For Immediate Action Against Prada
He wrote the letter to draw officials’ attention to a serious incident involving the Italian luxury fashion brand Prada, which unveiled a new sandal design at the Milan Fashion Week — Spring/Summer 2026 Men’s Collection on 23 June 2025. These sandals bear a striking resemblance to the traditional Kolhapuri chappal, a footwear craft that has been made in our region for centuries and holds immense cultural significance for Maharashtra.
He then underlines that, as we are aware, Kolhapuri chappals have the status of Geographical Indication (GI) granted by the Government of India in 2019, recognising their unique origin and cultural heritage. The artisan communities of Kolhapur and other neighbouring districts have been handcrafting these sandals for decades. They represent not only the artistic heritage but also serve as the primary livelihood of thousands of families.
However, in Prada’s presentation, there was no mention of the Indian origin or the community that has preserved this craft for generations. Furthermore, there has been no sharing of credit, economic benefit, or recognition for the actual artisans whose skills and identity are being used on a global platform. This act of commercial appropriation not only violates the spirit of the GI regulations but also threatens the livelihood and dignity of the many families engaged in this traditional trade.
Actions suggested by him
Mr Mahadik urged the Government of Maharashtra to consider the following actions:
- Take up this matter with the Government of India and relevant authorities, including the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, to ensure the GI protections are respected internationally.
- Explore legal and diplomatic avenues to ensure that any future use of the Kolhapuri design by international brands includes proper recognition and benefit sharing with the craft’s custodians.
- Initiate awareness campaigns and protective measures to strengthen the safeguarding of GI-tagged traditional crafts from commercial exploitation without attribution.
- Encourage collaboration or partnerships between global fashion houses and our artisan communities to ensure fair economic opportunities.
He also added that he, along with representatives of the Kolhapuri chappal artisan community — including his son Krishnaraj Mahadik — have personally delivered this letter to the office of Maharashtra’s government to express their deep concern over this matter. They stand ready to assist in any process that upholds the rights of artisans and protects Maharashtra’s cultural heritage.
Prada’s Response to this Entire Controversy
The non-stop allegations leave Prada with no choice but to break the silence. The government’s intervention in the matter was like a Googly which took the wicket of Prada. After seeing the Indians come together to have their rights back, Prada finally responds, but with a trick. The demand of India was an apology for such a disgraceful act, and also the rightful recognition. Whereas, to satisfy both the parties, the government and citizens, Prada closes the matter by recognising the art alone. Prada publicly didn’t apologise but passed a few statements via official letter addressed to Lalit Gandhi, which were:
- We acknowledge that Sandals were inspired by traditional Indian handcrafted footwear, with a centuries-old heritage.
- We deeply recognise the cultural significance of such Indian craftsmanship.
- The entire collection is currently at an early stage of design development, and none of the pieces are confirmed to be commercialised.
- We commit to responsible design practices, foster cultural engagement, and open a dialogue for meaningful exchange with local Indian artisan communities.
To conclude, Prada neither apologised nor mentioned anything about the Kolhapuri heritage directly. They directly put the recognition forward and also used the term Indian heritage to save themselves from the tag of thieves. The Netizens highly criticised such an act again when it became public. “It was said that the thief doesn’t have the calliper to confront its mistake as well. Such a disgrace on a brand which calls itself a FASHION ICON.”
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