Why Prada's Kolhapuri chappals and LV's desi trunks prove luxury fashion is obsessed with Indian staples

Time of India

4 days ago

India is not just vibing, it is serving influence. And no, we are not talking about influencers doing yoga on the banks of the Ganga. We are talking about Prada launching its take on Kolhapuri chappals (yes, the ones uncle wears to weddings), and Louis Vuitton slapping their logo on trunks that scream 'Sharmaji's shaadi ka samaan.'
Why is every luxe brand suddenly obsessed with Indian style? | Credit: Instagram
Why is every luxe brand suddenly obsessed with Indian style? | Credit: Instagram
From desi to designer: India's influence is dripping on global runways, and it is not giving!
What once sat quietly in Indian bazaars is now strutting down Milan runways with a four-digit price tag. Kolhapuris that you could grab in Lajpat Nagar for Rs 500 are now rebranded as 'heritage sandals' for over Rs 70,000. No, this is not satire, it is fashion.
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Prada's Kolhapuris and the big brand rebranding
Let us begin with Prada, who just launched their "luxury leather toe-loop flats,' but every Indian auntie knows a Kolhapuri when she sees one. Complete with minimal detailing and raw leather edges, these sandals are being praised as timeless elegance. Meanwhile, somewhere in Kolhapur, a chappal-maker probably just snorted his chai.
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Fashion watchers say that high-end brands are going through an Indiafication, where they borrow, glam up and sell Indian staples back to us as aspirational pieces.
Louis Vuitton's desi trunks are basically fancy shaadi baggage
Now cue Louis Vuitton, who are living their best wedding-planner fantasy with trunks that give off major Delhi dulhan ki packing vibes. Sure, they are sleek, monogrammed, and priced like your first car, but anyone who has ever stored their sarees in a steel Godrej cupboard knows exactly what inspired this.
Why is every luxe brand suddenly obsessed with Indian style? | Credit: Instagram
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And it is not just footwear or trunks. Balenciaga once flirted with a polybag-inspired tote. Dior has played with Indian embroidery. Sabyasachi made his way to H&M. Everyone is dipping their ladle in the desi curry.
Why is every luxe brand suddenly obsessed with Indian style? | Credit: Instagram/sabyasachi
Not only that, if you live under the rock and do not know about it, well, the jhola, a simple cloth bag used daily in Indian households for groceries, errands, and travel, is now being sold for $48 (Rs 4,228) on American luxury store Nordstrom's website. Well, this might sound difficult to believe, but it is true as pictures of the humble 'jhola' being sold at such an exorbitant rate have gone viral on social media.
Why a Rs 100 jhola selling for Rs 4000 is going viral in India? | Credit: X | wordi25
The classic desi carryall has been given a bougie twist — Japanese label Puebco is now marketing it as the 'Indian Souvenir Bag' on Nordstrom's online store, slapping a luxe price tag on what is basically every Indian mum's trusted tote.
Cultural appreciation or fashion appropriation?
The bigger question: is this just admiration or are these brands cosplaying culture for clout and cash? Where are the nods to Indian artisans? The royalties? The collaborations?
Why a Rs 100 jhola selling for Rs 4000 is going viral in India? | Credit: X | wordi25
Until we get answers, just know this, what your nani carried to sabzi mandi is now being carried to the ramp that too for big brands. And honestly? That is both iconic and insane.