Italian luxury fashion house Prada has acknowledged that its recent Spring Summer 2026 menswear collection, showcased at the Milan Fashion Week, featured sandals inspired by traditional Indian footwear — the Kolhapuri chappals. But a controversy over “cultural appropriation” had already been stirred by then, with Indian fashion czars crying foul across media and social media. Thankfully, the Pharrell Williams x Louis Vuitton show, “Paris to India”, at Milan that followed Prada, had music by A R Rahman and a carpet with a snake-and-ladder motif designed by Bijoy Jain — which led to much appreciation and applause.
Kolhapuris, GI (Geographical Indication)
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