The brand came into controversy with Kolhapuri slippers.
Italian luxury fashion brand Prada, which came into controversy by using Kolhapuri slippers as its design, has decided to launch a limited-edition sandal collection in collaboration with indigenous artisans in India. Prada has now decided that it will work together with the artisans of India. This step has come when six months ago the brand was accused of using a design similar to traditional Kolhapuri slippers. The brand also had to face criticism for this.
According to the report, this Italian luxury company will make 2,000 pairs of sandals in Maharashtra and Karnataka and the price of each pair will be around 800 Euro (about Rs 83,000). Senior company official Lorenzo Bertelli said that their aim is to mix traditional Indian craftsmanship with Italian technology. These sandals will be available for sale in 40 Prada stores around the world and online from February 2026.
What was the dispute?
Six months ago, Prada had shown sandals that looked like Kolhapuri slippers at the Milan fashion show. As soon as the pictures spread on the internet, people’s anger in India increased. Prada later admitted that the design was inspired by old Indian style. Now the company has signed an agreement with two government agencies, LIDCOM of Maharashtra and LIDKAR of Karnataka. These organizations support artisans, especially from underprivileged communities, who make traditional slippers by hand.
Also read- Case filed in High Court against Italian brand Prada, accused of stealing the design of Kolhapuri slippers.
Artisans will be trained in Italy
The company has said that it wants to give global recognition to this art. The partnership will last for three years and will include a training program for artisans in India and short training opportunities at the Prada Academy in Italy. He told that this project will be worth several million euros and the artisans will be paid fairly. Prerna Deshbhartar, Managing Director of LIDCOM, said that when a big global brand like Prada supports this art, its demand is likely to increase automatically.