{"id":106857,"date":"2025-12-14T22:06:00","date_gmt":"2025-12-14T22:06:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sotnews.agency\/?p=106857"},"modified":"2025-12-14T22:06:00","modified_gmt":"2025-12-14T22:06:00","slug":"prada-to-launch-930-made-in-india-kolhapuri-sandals-after-backlash","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sotnews.agency\/?p=106857","title":{"rendered":"Prada to launch $930 \u2018Made in India\u2019 Kolhapuri sandals after backlash"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Global fashion brand Prada has announced a line of limited-edition footwear inspired by Indian-made Kolhapuri sandals, months after it faced backlash for allegedly appropriating the sandal\u2019s design.<\/p>\n

The Italian luxury brand will make 2,000 pairs of sandals in India\u2019s Maharashtra and Karnataka states, under a deal with two state-backed entities, Reuters news agency reports.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019ll mix the original manufacturer\u2019s standard capabilities with our manufacturing techniques\u201d, Lorenzo Bertelli, Prada\u2019s head of Corporate Social Responsibility, said.<\/p>\n

The collection is set to go on sale in February 2026, online and in 40 Prada stores worldwide.<\/p>\n

A pair of sandals are reportedly set to be sold for $939, which amounts to around \u00a3800 and 84,000 rupees.<\/p>\n

The agreement was signed on Thursday during the Italy-India Business Forum 2025.<\/p>\n

In June, Prada courted controversy after showcasing sandals with an open-toe braided pattern that closely resembled the traditional Kolhapuri sandals made in Maharashtra and Karnataka.<\/p>\n

Prada described the sandals as \u201cleather footwear\u201d but did not mention its Indian origins, prompting backlash and allegations of cultural appropriation in India.<\/p>\n

The brand\u00a0later acknowledged the footwear design\u2019s\u00a0Indian roots.<\/p>\n

A Prada spokesperson at that time told the BBC that the company has \u201calways celebrated craftsmanship, heritage and design traditions, adding that it was \u201cin contact with the Maharashtra Chamber of Commerce, Industry & Agriculture on this topic. This is a prominent industry trade body in the state.<\/p>\n

On Friday, Maharashtra\u2019s Social Justice Minister Sanjay Shirsat told BBC Marathi that the new initiative will be called \u2018Prada Made in India \u2013 Inspired by Kolhapuri Chappals [sandals]\u2019.<\/p>\n

\u201cKeeping in mind Prada\u2019s requirements and demand, some artisans will receive special training from Prada and LIDCOM [a state-backed entity supporting the leather industry in Maharashtra]. Additionally, around 200 Kolhapuri chappal artisans will be given three years of training in Italy,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Mr Shirsat said the agreement had been signed for five years, but expressed confidence that it would be extended further.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe state government will also provide financial assistance to the artisans for this purpose,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n

Named after a city in Maharashtra where they are made, Kolhapuri sandals trace their roots back to the 12th Century.<\/p>\n

Made from leather and sometimes dyed in natural colours, the traditional handcrafted sandals are sturdy and well-suited to India\u2019s hot climate.<\/p>\n

Following the controversy,\u00a0many artisans in Kolhapur said they were saddened\u00a0by Prada\u2019s use of the design without giving due credit.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\"PradaGlobal fashion brand Prada has announced a line of limited-edition footwear inspired by Indian-made Kolhapuri sandals, months after it faced backlash for allegedly appropriating the sandal\u2019s design. The Italian luxury brand will make 2,000 pairs of sandals in India\u2019s Maharashtra and Karnataka states, under a deal with two state-backed entities, Reuters news agency reports. \u201cWe\u2019ll [\u2026]<\/div>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"rop_custom_images_group":[],"rop_custom_messages_group":[],"rop_publish_now":"initial","rop_publish_now_accounts":{"facebook_2277560469115098_106292521332774":"","twitter_aToxNzczMzI3Njk4OTg4ODUxMjAxOw==_1773327698988851200":""},"rop_publish_now_history":[],"rop_publish_now_status":"pending","_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[2019,1910,13899,13900,10,9,13901],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-106857","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-hp-news-10","category-international","category-kolhapuri-sandals","category-made-in-india","category-politics","category-popular","category-prada"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/sotnews.agency\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/106857","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/sotnews.agency\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/sotnews.agency\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sotnews.agency\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sotnews.agency\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=106857"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/sotnews.agency\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/106857\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/sotnews.agency\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=106857"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sotnews.agency\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=106857"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sotnews.agency\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=106857"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}