Prada credits the traditional ‘Kolhapuri' sandal amid backlash
Images from Prada's fashion show in Milan last weekend showed models wearing leather sandals with a braided design that resembled handmade Kolhapuri slippers with designs dating back to the 12th century.
A wave of criticism in the media and from lawmakers followed over the Italian brand's lack of public acknowledgement of the Indian sandal design, which is named after a city in the western state of Maharashtra.
Lorenzo Bertelli, son of Prada's owners, responded to the sandal scandal in a letter to a trade group on Friday recognising their Indian heritage.
'We acknowledge that the sandals… are inspired by traditional Indian handcrafted footwear, with a centuries-old heritage,' Bertelli, Prada's head of corporate social responsibility, wrote in the letter to the Maharashtra Chamber of Commerce, seen by Reuters.
The sandals are at an early stage of design and it is not certain they will be commercialized, but Prada is open to a 'dialogue for meaningful exchange with local Indian artisans' and will arrange follow-up meetings, he wrote.
A Prada spokesperson issued a statement acknowledging the sandal's inspiration from India, adding the company has 'always celebrated craftsmanship, heritage and design traditions'.
Prada products are beyond the reach of most Indians. Its men's leather sandals retail for $844 and up, while the Kolhapuri slippers, sold in Indian shops and street markets, start at about $12.
India's luxury market is small but growing fast, with rising numbers of rich people buying Louis Vuitton bags, Lamborghini cars, luxury homes and watches.
Conversely, Indian culture and crafts are increasingly finding their way into global brand designs. High-end jeweller Bulgari offers a $16,000 Mangalsutra necklace inspired by a chain traditionally worn by married women.
Bertelli's homage to Indian design was sent in a response to a complaint from the head of the trade group that represents 3,000 Kolhapuri sandal artisans, as the online uproar gathered momentum.
'From the dusty lanes of Kolhapur to the glitzy runways of Milan… will the world finally give credit where it's due?' India's DNA News posted on X.
Sambhaji Chhatrapati from the Kolhapur Royal family told Reuters by phone he was upset that craftsmen had not been acknowledged for the 'history and heritage of 150 years.'
Kolhapur-based businessman Dileep More, however, said images of the Prada sandal were bringing cheer to some artisans as they show their traditional product going global.
'They are happy that someone is recognising their work,' he said.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Business Recorder
37 minutes ago
- Business Recorder
Rupee slips, volatility expectations unruffled by looming tariff deadline
MUMBAI: The Indian rupee declined on Wednesday as the dollar nudged higher ahead of closely watched U.S. economic data, with investors focused on prospects for trade deals ahead of a July 9 deadline. The rupee closed at 85.7025 against the U.S. dollar, down 0.2% on the day. Asian currencies declined as well, led by the Malaysian ringgit, which fell 0.7%. The dollar index was up nearly 0.3% and hovering just shy of the 97 handle. Stronger-than-expected U.S. economic data released on Tuesday offered mild support to the greenback with investors now awaiting a key non-farm payrolls report on Thursday and developments on bilateral trade negotiations. Despite the looming trade deadline, the rupee's very near-tenor implied volatility, a gauge of future expectations, was hovering a tad below its three-month average, indicating that traders are not yet pricing in the possibility of sharp swings in the near-term. Indian rupee slips on weak equities U.S. President Donald Trump has said he was not considering extending the deadline for countries to negotiate trade deals but expects an agreement will be reached with India. While Trump has ruled out an extension of the deadline, 'markets are wary of taking this at face value given recent reversals,' ING said in a note. 'The prevailing view may be that global tariff threats peak before another last-minute reprieve,' ING said. Analysts polled by Reuters expect the rupee to be largely rangebound over the next year, trailing Asian peers amidst sustained weakness in the dollar. In three months, the rupee is forecast to decline 0.1% from current levels to 85.75 per dollar. It is then expected to trade at 85.50 in six months and weaken marginally to 86.13 in a year, according to the median forecast of 41 FX strategists.
Business Recorder
an hour ago
- Business Recorder
Indian court allows Crocs to pursue infringement challenges
NEW DELHI: An Indian court has revived nine-year-old lawsuits filed by Crocs Inc which accused several Indian companies of launching footwear identical to its popular rubber clogs, allowing the U.S. firm to press ahead with its infringement challenges. The court's announcement late on Tuesday comes just as another international brand, Prada, is facing heat in India for showcasing sandals during a Milan fashion show which were similar to Indian ethnic footwear, sparking a nationwide furore. Prada later acknowledged they were inspired by Indian designs. Crocs had sued six companies including Switzerland-based Bata's India unit as well as local players Relaxo and Liberty for allegedly copying the shape of its footwear but an Indian court had said in 2019 that the case could not be taken up citing technical grounds. Crocs however filed an appeal in which the high court on Tuesday gave it permission to pursue the case saying 'the dismissal of Crocs' suits cannot sustain in law.' X, India spar over lawyer's 'Tom, Dick, and Harry' remark for government officials In the original court challenge, Crocs said the rivals should be restrained from selling the footwear which it called an obvious imitation of its rubber clogs. Liberty, one of the companies sued by Crocs, argued that Crocs was not the originator of the designs and it too had merely copied the clog shape of footwear in use by others much prior. Launched in Colorado in 2002, Crocs' quirky, bright and comfortable resin shoes quickly attracted a cult following. Over the years, they have become popular in India, where they are sold across several footwear stores. India's footwear market is set to be worth $33.86 billion this year, according to market research firm Statista, and 97% of the market is dominated by non-luxury footwear.
Business Recorder
5 hours ago
- Business Recorder
Oil prices gain as Iran suspends cooperation with UN nuclear watchdog
NEW YORK: Oil futures edged up on Wednesday as Iran suspended cooperation with the U.N. nuclear watchdog but a surprise build in U.S. crude supplies limited gains. Brent crude was up 39 cents, or 0.6%, to $67.50 a barrel at 10:44 a.m. EDT, while U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude rose 31 cents, or 0.5%, to $65.76 a barrel. Brent has traded between a high of $69.05 a barrel and low of $66.34 since June 25, as concerns of supply disruptions in the Middle East have ebbed following a ceasefire between Iran and Israel. Iran enacted a law on Wednesday that stipulates any future inspection of its nuclear sites by the International Atomic Energy Agency needs approval by Tehran's Supreme National Security Council. The country has accused the agency of siding with Western countries and providing a justification for Israel's air strikes. 'The market is pricing in some geopolitical risk premium from Iran's move on the IAEA,' said Giovanni Staunovo, a commodity analyst at UBS. 'But this is about sentiment, there are no disruptions to oil.' Limiting gains on Wednesday, U.S. crude inventories rose by 3.8 million barrels to 419 million barrels last week, the Energy Information Administration said, compared with analysts' expectations in a Reuters poll for a 1.8 million-barrel draw. Gasoline demand dropped to 8.6 million barrels per day, prompting concerns about consumption in the peak summer driving season. Oil rises on signs of strong demand, investors await OPEC+ output decision 'During summer time, 9 million (bpd) is basically the line in the sand to define a healthy market,' said Bob Yawger, director of energy futures at Mizuho. 'We're now well below that. That's not a good sign.' Meanwhile, planned supply increases by the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries and its allies including Russia, a group known as OPEC+, appear already priced in by investors and are unlikely to catch markets off-guard again imminently, said Priyanka Sachdeva, senior market analyst at brokerage Phillip Nova. Four OPEC+ sources told Reuters last week the group plans to raise output by 411,000 bpd next month when it meets on July 6, a similar amount to the hikes agreed for May, June and July. Saudi Arabia lifted shipments in June by 450,000 bpd from May, according to data from Kpler, its biggest increase in more than a year. However, overall OPEC+ exports are relatively flat to slightly down since March, Staunovo said. He expects this trend to persist over the summer as hot weather drives higher energy demand. The release of the key U.S. monthly employment report on Thursday will shape expectations around the depth and timing of interest rate cuts by the Federal Reserve in the second half of this year, said Tony Sycamore, an analyst at IG. Lower interest rates could spur economic activity, which would in turn boost oil demand.
