A man artisan does work on Kolhapuri at his residence in Kolhapur. File
| Photo Credit: The Hindu
Responding to the backlash against its recent appropriation of Kolhapur’s iconic ‘chappals’, Italian luxury fashion house Prada intends to launch a limited edition of ‘Made in India’ leather sandals, inspired by and in partnership with local artisans, according to the Maharashtra Chamber of Commerce, Industry and Agriculture (MACCIA).
After its first meeting with Prada representatives via video conferencing on Friday (July 11, 2025), MACCIA said the fashion major intends to send a technical team to Maharashtra next week in this regard.
“The capsule collection will comply with (geographical indication) 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,” a MACCIA representative said.
“The session focused on cultural recognition, ethical sourcing, and collaboration with Maharashtra’s artisan community — particularly the Kolhapuri chappal industry, which inspired elements of Prada’s Spring/Summer 2026 men’s collection,” a MACCIA press statement said.
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Cultural respect
Prada was represented by five senior officials from its Milan headquarters, including its Chief Business Development Officer Roberto Massardi, the group’s head of Corporate Socia Responsibility Lorenzo Bertelli and its Global Director of Communications Christopher Bugg. “MACCIA presented six agenda points rooted in cultural respect, co-branded development, and fair trade principles. Prada showed alignment on all key issues and expressed clear interest in long-term engagement with artisan stakeholders,” it added.
The business body said that the Prada team showcased successful global examples of their previous ‘Made in’ campaigns, featuring Made in Peru, Made in Japan, and Made in Scotland product lines.
Exploring collaboration
Prada representatives were introduced to other heritage crafts from Maharashtra, including Paithani weaving, Himroo textiles, Bichwas/Payal (anklets), and regional embroidery work, in a pitch for collaborations.
“Prada responded positively and agreed to explore these crafts for potential integration into future collections. The dialogue reflected genuine openness to cultural storytelling through design. Both parties also discussed launching structured knowledge exchange and training programmes between Indian and Italian artisans. Prada expressed interest in supporting artisan skill development, design innovation, and sustainability-led production models through cross-border collaboration and residencies,” the MACCIA representative said.
“This partnership can become a model for global fashion to work respectfully with traditional communities. We appreciate Prada’s sincerity and look forward to building on this foundation,” MACCIA president Lalit Gandhi said.
Prada had received flak globally after it had showcased Kolhapuri chappal-inspired leather sandals without attribution to the artisans who keep up the 800-year old unbroken tradition of crafting the GI-tagged chappals.
Published – July 12, 2025 10:45 pm IST
