Prada Visits Kolhapur
Following the outcry over its Spring/Summer 2026 collection, Prada, an Italian luxury fashion brand, has dispatched a four-person delegation to Kolhapur in Maharashtra to observe the traditional artistry of the renowned Kolhapuri chappal.
The members of the team were Paolo Tiveron, Director of the Men's Technical and Production Department (Footwear Division), Daniele Contu, Pattern-Making Manager, and external advisors Andrea and Roberto Pollastrelli. Prior to their arrival in Kolhapur, the team had an online video conference with top executives from the Maharashtra Chamber of Commerce, Industry & Agriculture (MACCIA).
While on their two-day tour on Tuesday and Wednesday, the Prada officials visited four large clusters of production areas: Subhash Nagar, Jawahar Nagar, Kandalgaon, and Kagal village with the last being remarkable for its group of women artisans.
The visit followed criticism Prada attracted after its models walked the ramp in shoes similar to Kolhapuri chappals during Milan Fashion Week. The designs, costing nearly Rs. 1 lakh, raised outrage for reportedly failing to give due credit to Indian craftsmen.
MACCIA had earlier written to Prada questioning the uncredited adoption of the traditional design. In reply, the Italian brand recognized the inspiration, saying, "We recognize that the sandals in the recent Prada Men's 2026 Fashion Show are inspired by Indian artisanal handcrafted shoes with a long history dating back centuries. We sincerely appreciate the cultural importance of such Indian craftsmanship."
In addition, Prada demonstrated its dedication to sustainable fashion and cooperation with local craftsmen, "We remain devoted to responsible design practices, cultural interaction, and initiating a dialogue for substantive exchange with Indian artisan communities based locally as we have done with previous collections to provide rightful appreciation of their craftsmanship."
Commenting on the visit, MACCIA president Lalit Gandhi said in Business Standard,
"The Prada team has been here for two days to assess our production centers. Though their criteria are quite different from ours, they will go back to Italy and provide a report on the same."
Prada's visit is the first step towards cultural recognition and future potential collaboration among global luxury houses and Indian artisanal communities.
