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Daily Mail
07-07-2025
- Business
- Daily Mail
The stunning French village selling homes for one euro - and the clever reason behind the cheap deal
In the past few years, several small towns in Italy have made headlines for offering vacant homes for €1 in an effort to boost dwindling populations and breathe new life into abandoned villages. Now, the well-received initiative appears to be catching on elsewhere in Europe - with a quiet French town recently joining the €1 homes club. Ambert, located in the southeast of France, has become the latest community to adopt the tactic, in the hopes of stopping its population of 6,500 from shrinking any further. The move is part of a wider five-year plan to attract new residents and rejuvenate local life. In one area of the town, property vacancy rates have reached up to 60 per cent, prompting authorities to put two empty homes on the market for just one euro each - the equivalent to 85p. So far, the broader project seems to be showing signs of success, as a new class was added to Ambert's school two years ago due to growing enrolment. In addition, the town's historic chamber of commerce and industry building is currently undergoing renovations. It's expected to reopen in 2026 as a public space - bringing with it new jobs for local residents. This means selling the €1 homes shouldn't be too difficult - but, like many similar schemes, such as those seen in Italy, the offer comes with its fair share of terms and conditions. While the initial cost is an indisputable bargain, buyers are expected to invest significantly in renovations and meet strict requirements if they want the keys. To begin with, second-home buyers are prohibited from buying into the scheme. According to The Local, those who purchase a €1 house in Ambert must commit to living in the property full-time for at least three years once it's been made habitable. If they fail to do so, they risk financial penalties, including the repayment of any government grants given for refurbishment works. And there's a good reason for that funding: the houses need a lot of work. From the roof to the wiring, and everything in between, the two homes on offer require extensive renovations. Potential buyers may even be asked to provide a written plan outlining the extent of the work and how long it will take to complete. If you're already picturing your new life in rural France and don't mind taking on a challenging DIY project, one of these homes might be for you - although it's worth considering brushing up on your French language skills before making the move. It comes after a British man who bought a house in Italy for the bargain price of just €1/85p has revealed he now has hundreds of people desperate to rent it out. George Laing, 32, bought the derelict three-storey property in Mussomeli, a town in Sicily, in December 2022. The Brit purchased the bargain home under a renovation scheme set up by the council. Once George had paid for admin fees, agency costs and energy certificates, the purchase price came to €5,000/£4,300.
The Guardian
30-06-2025
- Business
- The Guardian
Prada accused of cashing in on Indian culture with Kolhapuri-inspired sandals
Prada has acknowledged that its new leather sandal design was inspired by India's famous Kolhapuri 'chappals' – handcrafted shoes known for their toe-loop design – after facing criticism over its failure to credit the footwear's origins. 'We acknowledge the sandals … are inspired by traditional Indian handcrafted footwear, with a centuries-old heritage,' Lorenzo Bertelli, the corporate social responsibility chief at the Italian fashion house, said in a letter to the Maharashtra chamber of commerce. The chamber had complained on behalf of thousands of Kolhapuri sandal-makers after images from Prada's Milan runway show showed models wearing the open-toe footwear that was virtually identical to the unisex Indian original. The chamber president, Lalit Gandhi, had said: 'The collection includes footwear designs that bear a close resemblance to Kolhapuri sandals, a traditional handcrafted leather sandal that has been awarded 'geographical indication' status by the government of India in 2019.' The geographical indication tag verifies that a product originates in a specific place. The sandals' origins go back to the 12th century, to the city of Kolhapur in western Maharashtra state. The buffalo-hide shoes with their distinctive braided T-strap are worn by everyone from farmers to millennials and business leaders. The sight of models walking the runway last week in the footwear blandly described as 'leather flat sandals' triggered a widespread backlash in India and charges of 'cultural appropriation'. The row tapped into a broader debate about how global fashion houses frequently repackage traditional craftsmanship as luxury goods without credit or compensation to the original artisans. The sandals, known for their durability, cost about $12 in India, whereas Prada sandals retail for upwards of $800. Indian artisans 'lose, while global brands cash in on our culture,' said Harsh Goenka, the chair of the pharmaceuticals-to-IT conglomerate RPG Group. As photos of the show spread online, Indian outrage mounted. 'From the dusty lanes of Kolhapur to the glitzy runways of Milan … will the world finally give credit where it's due?' asked the news outlet DNA on X. Gandhi asked Prada to seek ways for 'collaboration or fair compensation that could benefit' Indian craftspeople. Bertelli replied the sandals were still in the 'early' design stage, but that Prada was willing to open a 'dialogue for meaningful exchange with local Indian artisans'. 'While Indian artisans and small-scale producers excel in craftsmanship, they rarely have access to capital or business acumen' to position their products globally as luxury goods, Dhanendra Kumar, an ex-World Bank executive director, noted in India's Economic Times. 'By not calling their new line of sandals 'Kolhapuris', Prada is guilty of monetising cultural appropriation,' Kumar said. Still, some believe the row could have an unexpected upside. Sales of the sandals have plateaued in India in recent years, but local designers believe the spotlight could boost interest in the classic design, especially among younger consumers. 'Until now, it hadn't been considered part of the 'cool' or aspirational footwear space in India's luxury market … I truly believe in the ripple effect of what Prada has done,' said Shirin Mann, the founder of Needledust, a label known for its contemporary take on traditional Indian embroidered slip-ons. Mann could be right. Since Prada's runway show, Google Trends has shown a spike in searches for Kolhapuri sandals, and retailers report interest has surged, according to local media.
