Prada

In 2025, luxury fashion house Prada launched its new collection featuring "Open-Toe Leather Sandals" priced at ,200. Marketed as a "minimalist artisanal sandal," the product bore a striking resemblance to the traditional Indian Kolhapuri Chappal. The launch sparked immediate discussion among craft enthusiasts and cultural observers.

The Kolhapuri Chappal, or कोल्हापुरी चप्पल, is a hand-tooled leather sandal originating from Kolhapur, Maharashtra, India, with a history spanning over 800 years. These distinctive sandals are crafted by skilled artisans using vegetable-tanned leather, known for their durability and unique aesthetic. They hold significant cultural value, often passed down through generations, and are recognized with a Geographical Indication (GI) tag, signifying their specific regional origin and traditional craftsmanship.

The fashion community and craft advocates quickly called out Prada for its appropriation. Observers noted the near-identical silhouette to the GI-tagged Kolhapuri chappal, highlighting the absence of any credit or acknowledgment of its Indian origins. Critics pointed out the vast price disparity between the luxury item and the traditional sandal, which typically retails for around ₹1,000, and questioned the lack of royalty or benefit to the original craftspeople.