The label wears Prada: How global deals can galvanise India's handicraft

As the Prada-Kolhapuri deal demonstrated, IP protection lies at the core of any dynamic collaborative arrangement between domestic artisans and global marketers

The deal between Prada, the 112-year-old Italian luxury fashion house, and makers of Kolhapuri chappals, the leather slip-on footwear that dates back to the 12th century, offers a useful template of upscale collaboration between India’s vibrantly creative but resource-poor handicraft sector and powerful global brands with capital and marketing outreach. The deal was reached after Prada was accused of intellectual property (IP) violations for retailing footwear resembling Kohlapuris without acknowledging the design’s Indian roots. The problem was magnified by the fact that Kohlapuri footwear received a Geographical Indication (GI) tag in 2019. Now, Prada has said it will make 2,000