Prada team to meet Kolhapuri chappal artisans for future collaborations
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The meeting was held online with Prada officials joining from Milan, Italy, MACCIA office-bearers led by president Lalit Gandhi from Mumbai and representatives of artisans and traders from Kolhapur. The brand had faced criticism after its footwear meant for men, showcased during Spring/Summer 2026 Menswear Show in Milan, resembled the traditional footwear from Kolhapur, popularly called Kolhapuri chappals, in Maharashtra.
Prada Group subsequently acknowledged that its collection was inspired by the GI-tagged traditional footwear from Maharashtra and Karnataka. The group had said it wished to engage with the artisans for further collaboration. A meeting to discuss this was organised online on Friday.
Responding to a TOI query after the meeting, Prada Group stated that "the meeting was held successfully" and it represented "an important moment in building mutual understanding and generating meaningful exchange to discuss potential opportunities for future collaboration".
The group said: "The next step will be for Prada's supply chain team to meet a range of footwear manufacturers, and the Maharashtra Chamber of Commerce has kindly agreed to support in identifying GI-approved manufacturers that Prada Group could potentially collaborate with."
Elaborating on the meeting, MACCIA president Lalit Gandhi said the Italian fashion house had expressed intent to launch a limited-edition "Made in India" Kolhapuri-inspired collection in partnership with local artisans.
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"The capsule collection will comply with GI-tag requirements and highlight Maharashtra's cultural heritage across global markets. This step marks a significant win for community recognition and inclusion in global design platforms," he said.
"To support this, the Prada team showcased successful global examples of their prior 'Made in' campaigns—featuring Made in Peru, Made in Japan, and Made in Scotland product lines.
They also presented their early vision for a Made in India–Kolhapuri collection, reinforcing their commitment to honouring craft origins while building meaningful global stories around them," Gandhi said.
MACCIA further proposed collaboration on heritage crafts, such as Paithani weaving, Himroo textiles, Bichwas/Payal (anklets), and regional embroidery work. "Prada responded positively and agreed to explore these crafts for potential integration into future collections," the MACCIA president said.
In its statement, MACCIA said the meeting was attended by five senior Prada officials from its Milan headquarters and senior members of the chamber. Members of the Kolhapur Chamber of Commerce, Kolhapur district footwear manufacturers' association and dealers were also present.
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