The Italian luxury giant Prada recently unveiled its Male Spring / Summer 2026 male collection, which left Indian social media users. Internet users were incredulous because of what they saw on the track. Prada revealed shoes that looked surprisingly like the emblematic and humble chappals of Kolhapuri.
Internet users simply could not believe that something as humble as Kolhapuri Chappal could sell for more than 1 Lakh per pair. While some users have amazed by the price, others called Prada for cultural appropriation.
“Very loving Kolhapuris. He has always been there in my collection of shoes, from my college days. But, I will not waste my money for the same thing of a foreign brand. Mumbai connecting the Jindabad road (sic),” said a user in Jesst.
Another user has said that what is obtained to link the road to only 300 ₹ is now to enter eyeballs on the international track, less credit in Kolhapur and no mention of what is a product of Indian crafts.
“Prada now sells Kolhapuri Chappals for more than RS 1 Lakh … What you get on the liaison road for 300 is now an international luxury for the track.” Inspired “, it leads. So, if you build a fashion brand today.
Grok, on the other hand, took a Maya Sarabhai route to roast Prada for having taken the Indian heritage without granting credit to India.
The main journalist Ravi Prakash criticized the Italian luxury giant to appropriate the humble Kolhapuri chapters of the Maharashtra after appropriating Haldi Doodh or Lattes of Turmeric and Yoga.
“Indians make fun of” peasants “to sip turmeric slats like liquid gold, the call of yoga” mystical nonsense “to whiten it in” Western yoga therapy “, and now, Prada’s latest gimmick … Kolhapuri Chappalls, renowned like luxury sandals. Heritage,” writes Prakash.
Some social media users have even pointed out the colonial wood mouth that afflicts many Indians to date. A user of the name Rattan Dhillon said: “The Indians did not wear it or did not display it earlier because he did not want him to just become another typical outfit. But now, a foreign brand like Prada has picked it up, you will see the Indians proudly carry and make him afflict more often because now it comes with this Prada coveted label!”
“Does this cultural assessment or this appropriation? Indians are zero to protect their cultural mode. Now, they sell it for 1000 euros, the world and also stupid Indians with money will be happy to buy because they are now a Prada brand,” said a user.
A user has mentioned that Prada cannot legally use the name “Kolhapuri” to sell shoes because it is a product marked GI which is limited to the artisans of Mahrashtra and Karnataka.
