Latest news with #475
The Star
14-07-2025
- Business
- The Star
What to know about the Prada 'sandal scandal' and India's Kolhapuri comeback
Indian footwear sellers and artisans are tapping into nationalist pride stoked by the Prada "sandal scandal" in a bid to boost sales of ethnic slippers with history dating back to the 12th century, raising hopes of reviving a struggling craft. Sales are surging over the past week for the "Kolhapuri" sandals that have garnered global attention after Prada sparked a controversy by showcasing similar designs in Milan, without initially crediting the footwear's origins. After viral photos from a fashion show drew criticism from Indian artisans who make the sandals – named after a historic city in Maharashtra state, Prada was forced to acknowledge that its new open-toe footwear was inspired by ancient Indian designs. "Prada 0: Kolhapur 1," said an Instagram post by e-commerce website Shopkop, whose founder Rahul Parasu Kamble's open letter to Prada pointing out the footwear is "soaked in tradition" was reshared 36,000 times on social media. "I saw the controversy as a way to promote Kolhapuri," said Kamble, 33, who has seen sales of sandals he sources from local artisans touch 50,000 rupees (approximately RM2,475) in three days, five times the average. Social media has been abuzz in recent days with criticism and sarcastic memes, with politicians, artisans and a trade body demanding due credit to Indian heritage. Prada has said it will arrange follow-up meetings with artisans. In a statement to Reuters on Tuesday (July 1), it added the Italian group intends to make the sandals in India in collaboration with local manufacturers, if it commercialises them. Read more: Fashion dupes are everywhere – but are they crossing the legal line? Breezy ads. big discounts India's luxury market is small but growing, with the rich splurging on Lamborghini cars and pricey watches. Prada does not have a single retail store in India and its products are usually reserved for the super rich – its men's leather sandals start retailing at US$844 (RM3,564), while Kolhapuris can be priced as low as US$12 (RM51). But linking of the Prada name to the Kolhapuri sandals, which are made by around 7,000 artisans, is providing a business opportunity for some. Mumbai-based Ira Soles is running new Facebook and Instagram advertisements which proclaim its US$32 (RM135) "just walked the ramp at Prada". "Limited stock. Global spotlight. Own a piece of what the world is applauding," the ads state. E-commerce website Niira is offering up to 50% discounts on its Kolhapuri slippers it says are "rooted in tradition". Its sales of US$18 (RM76) sandals, that looked like the one Prada showcased in Milan, have tripled, founder Nishant Raut said. "Why can't an Indian Kolhapuri brand become as big as a Birkenstock," he said. Handmade in small factories, Kolhapuri sandals, or chappals as they are called in Hindi, are often paired with Indian attire. Similar designs are sold in big outlets of Bata India and Metro Brands, and also on Amazon and Walmart's Flipkart. In 2021, India's government said the sandals could achieve US$1bil (RM4.2bil) a year in exports. Though latest estimates are not available, artisans say the business has struggled as consumers increasingly opt for more fashionable, upmarket footwear. Read more: 'Moving far too slow': Fashion labels lag behind on sustainability pledges Still, the Prada controversy is breathing new life into a craft that Lalit Gandhi, president of Maharashtra's main industry lobby group, says is "a dying art". Gandhi said he is in talks with Prada to develop a co-branded, limited-edition sandal. Kolhapur craftsmen Ashok Doiphode, 50, is pinning hopes on a Prada boost. He hand-stitches sandals for nine hours daily but can sell a pair for just 400 rupees (RM20). "If big companies like Prada come, craftsman like me can get a good price." – Reuters
Borneo Post
03-07-2025
- Business
- Borneo Post
Director: JTK Sarawak inspects over 3,500 employer premises as of May 2025
Raduan presents a memento to Majang during the opening ceremony. BINTULU (July 3): The Sarawak Labour Department (JTK Sarawak) has inspected 3,514 employer premises across the state as of May 2025, said JTK state director Awang Raduan Awang Omar. He said that from these inspections, 390 notifications were issued to employers for various violations under the Sarawak Labour Ordinance (Chapter 76). 'During the same period, 729 labour-related cases were received and handled by labour offices throughout Sarawak. 'From January to May 2025, JTK Sarawak offered 563 compounds amounting to RM876,000. A total of RM31,475,212.52 in employee compensation was recorded,' he said. He shared this during the Customer Engagement Day and Anti-Forced Labour Awareness campaign at Dewan Suarah, Bintulu on Wednesday, as part of the Labour Go Rural Area Programme (L-GRAP) 6.0. The event was officiated by Deputy Minister of Infrastructure and Port Development Dato Majang Renggi. Officially launched on June 30, Raduan said the L-GRAP 6.0 features a convoy of 21 vehicles travelling across Sarawak and even crossing into neighbouring Brunei Darussalam before heading to Lawas. He said the journey, which began in Kuching, will span seven days with stops in Sibu, Bintulu, Miri, and culminating in Lawas on July 5, before returning to Kuching on July 6. The convoy was flagged off at the Sultan Iskandar Building lobby and is making its way across rural and coastal areas, aiming to bridge the information gap for communities that often face limited access to legal and labour-related information. 'Since its inception in 2020, L-GRAP has evolved into a vital platform for labour education, employment legal advocacy, and inter-agency collaboration involving government departments, local communities, and industry players,' he said. On July 1, 2025, the convoy stopped in Sibu where it carried out a corporate social responsibility (CSR) activity at Rumah Seri Kenangan, engaging residents in various programmes before continuing to Kampung Penan Muslim to distribute aid. The highlight of the L-GRAP 6.0 tour will be held on July 4 at Hotel Seri Malaysia, Lawas, through the 'Protect Workers, End Forced Labour' campaign. Each stop along the route features outreach activities including legal advice, labour-related talks, fraud awareness sessions, career counselling, and more. Raduan said a key focus of L-GRAP 6.0 is to raise awareness of amendments to the Sarawak Labour Ordinance (Chapter 76), which came into effect on May 1, 2025. These amendments he said provide improved protections and benefits for workers in Sarawak. The programme emphasises the importance of understanding labour laws that safeguard workers' rights and clarify employers' responsibilities. This year's programme also includes public awareness on risks of overseas employment for Sarawak workers, implementation of Malaysia's minimum wage policy, social Security Schemes for self-employed individuals and housewives and Job scams and employment fraud prevention. In addition, the Social Security Organisation (Perkeso) is conducting MyFutureJobs open interviews in Bintulu and Lawas, providing opportunities for jobseekers to secure employment on the spot. L-GRAP is now an annual flagship programme under JTK Sarawak, running successfully since 2020. It reflects the Ministry of Human Resources' (Kesuma) long-term initiative to bring government services closer to rural communities, while empowering citizens with knowledge about their rights under national labour laws.
Time of India
28-06-2025
- Business
- Time of India
Medical Professionals are Australia's highest paid, ATO data reveals; check top-paying jobs in the country
Live Events What are the highest-paid jobs in Australia? Surgeon: $472,475 (up $12,119) Anaesthetists: $447,193 (up $16,000) Financial dealer: $355,233 (down $18,500) Internal medicine specialist: $342,457 (up $1,728) Psychiatrist: $286,146 (up $9,601) Other medical practitioners: $259,802 (up $4,048) Mining engineer: $206,423 (down $7,942) Judicial or other legal professional: $206,408 (up $1,474) Chief executive officer or managing director: $194,987 (down $2,733) Financial investment advisor or manager: $191,986 (up $6,152) (You can now subscribe to our (You can now subscribe to our Economic Times WhatsApp channel The Australian Taxation Office (ATO) has released the data on the tax return data of millions of Aussies during financial year 2022-23, giving a glimpse of the massive incomes garnered by some professions. The data has also thrown light upon the highest-paying jobs in the list is led by surgeons who have managed to retain the top spot, earning more than $470,000 per year on average. There are reportedly only 4,247 surgeons in the country, which signifies that they are minting more than six times the average taxable income of $74,240 over the same second position in the ATO list was also bagged by medical professionals, with anesthesiologists who took home $447,193 on average annually. Notably, there are a mere 3,658 workers across the the third spot, following two taken by healthcare professionals, come financial dealers, who were the highest-paid non-medical role. They earned an average of $355,233 a year with a workforce of 5,147 people across the country. Financial dealers carry out financial market transactions on behalf of clients and include to the 2022-23 ATO data, the top-paying job with the most people was chief executive officers and managing directors. There were a whopping 231,103 people in this job amassing an average of around $194,987 a is pertinent to mention that the list of highest-paying jobs during the financial year 2022-23 remained the same as in previous income years, but notably, incomes have gone up for most of the top 10 highest-paid jobs and how much their incomes have increased since the previous year's statisticsAccording to the latest ATO data, the average Australian income was $74,240 a year. This was up from $72,327 a year. The median income was $55,868 for the 2022-23 income tax. This was up from $53,041 per year from the year prior.
Hans India
07-06-2025
- Business
- Hans India
Centre's wheat procurement at MSP rises to 3-yr high
New Delhi: The government has procured 29.92 million tonnes (MT) of wheat during the 2025–26 Rabi marketing season (April–June) which represents a 13 per cent increase over the corresponding figure for the same period of the previous year and is the highest in the last three years, according to a senior official. This procurement is from a total 40.42 MT that arrived in the markets of the main wheat producing states across the country. The remaining portion has been bought by millers and traders at a price that cannot be less than the Minimum Support Price (MSP) paid by the government. A small quantity of wheat is still reported to be reaching the mandis in Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan. The procurement is considered sufficient for distribution through the Public Distribution System and market intervention schemes to keep prices under control. At present, the Food Corporation of India (FCI) has wheat stock of 36.65 MT which exceeds the buffer requirement of 27.58 MT for July 1, the official said. The top four states contributing to wheat procurement include Punjab (11.93 MT), Madhya Pradesh (7.77 MT), Haryana (7.14 MT) and Rajasthan (2.02 MT). The agriculture ministry has estimated wheat production at a record 117.5 MT during the 2024-25 crop year (July-June), an increase of 3.7 per cent over the previous year. The average mandi prices on Thursday across key producing states were: Punjab (Rs2,475/quintal), Madhya Pradesh (Rs2,521/quintal), Rajasthan (Rs2,465/quintal) and Haryana (Rs2,425/quintal). The modal retail price of wheat was Rs28/kg.
Hype Malaysia
13-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Hype Malaysia
2 New Drops From AURALEE x New Balance & NN.07 x Sebago Are The Collabs We Didn't Know We Needed
Wherever you look, there are footwear collabs galore! And we aren't complaining one bit! From a fashionable merger of East and West, to the long-awaited reunion of land and sea – these are the killer kicks that will be landing in stores this week! AURALEE x New Balance 475 During Paris Fashion Week's Spring/Summer 2025 show, Japanese designer Ryota Iwai and his brand AURALEE unveiled yet another New Balance partnership. AURALEE is releasing a new collaboration with the 475 silhouette, which will come in two colours, following the WRPD Runner and new 990v4 colourways. One of the most classic training shoes of the last few decades, New Balance's 475 was first created in the middle of the 1980s. In addition to being made of nylon for breathability and a suede upper for a luxurious touch, the shoe has a dual-density, compression-moulded EVA for extra cushioning. The new 475 has more support and grip thanks to its tougher outsole and slightly higher-profile midsole. One of the colourways adopts a light green colour blocking, while the other adopts an earthy colour scheme with brown and grey tones. Iwai-san, the designer, discusses how the partnership complements the new collection in a quote. 'For much of the collection we took a more direct vintage and almost preppy inspiration and likewise took a similar approach to the shoes. 'We wanted to accent the already vintage-inspired notes of the model, with a well-worn, aged, sun-tinged-like feel for the materials and also incorporate and modernise it with our signature colouring to create something with one foot in the past and one in the present. Something like a discovered deadstock shoe today or one discovered years into the future.' The AURALEE x New Balance 475 collaboration will be available for purchase on 16th May via their respective websites. Each pair is available for JP¥26,400 (~RM772). NN.07 x Sebago Docksides Portland Reuniting with heritage footwear manufacturer Sebago for their second collaboration, NN.07 is bringing a sophisticated update to their iconic Docksides Portland boat shoe. The vintage boat shoe is infused with NN.07's Scandinavian elegance, drawing inspiration from Portland, Maine's coastal style and boating heritage. The updated model retains the practical design elements for which Sebago is renowned while sporting crisp white leather uppers that are subtly textured like a crocodile. The uppers, which are made of high-quality cow leather, have a water-resistant finish to protect against moisture, and the rubber soles provide a firm grip on slick surfaces. The rubber soles are embossed with a Docksides callout and cast in the same soft cream colour as the body for a primarily monochromatic aesthetic. Additionally, the hand-sewn shoes have a classic rawhide lacing system, and the woven wordmark labels on the lateral panel add a subtle pop of bright blue. The most recent partnership between NN.07 and Sebago comes after the brand's 2024 Scandinavian leather version of the Sebago Dan Loafer. The hand-sewn shoes were made using high-quality materials and a water-repellent finish, just like the Docksides. The NN.07 x Sebago Docksides Portland will hit the shelves on 15th May, and can be purchased at NN.07 flagship stores as well as its online store.
