One mistake and another attempt to cover up. Stories like this are not rare in business. The latest headline-stealer is the Italian luxury brand Prada. Their Men’s Spring/Summer 2026 show in Milan has stirred up quite the storm in India. Sandals that looked suspiciously like Kolhapuri chappals, India’s iconic handmade leather slippers, were shown with zero acknowledgment of their origin.
Naturally, the backlash wasn’t slow. Indians called it out loudly on social media, accusing Prada of oversight or intentional erasure of original designers. Faced with growing anger, the brand has now broken its silence. Prada eventually reacted by accepting the fact that the 2026 menswear line did feature sandals inspired by Indian traditional footwear. Lorenzo Bertelli, the Corporate Social Responsibility head of Prada Group, admitted that the sandals were inspired by Kolhapuris, which have ancient Indian craft traditions that are centuries old.
Here’s the full story. Those sandals, which come from Maharashtra’s Kolhapur region, are handcrafted heritage. Generational artistry. Yet on one of fashion’s most elite runways, they showed up stripped of context. No origin was mentioned. No credit was given. Just another “bold look.” The Milan show, organized at Fondazione Prada in the direction of Miuccia Prada and Raf Simons, was dedicated to contradiction and attitude. The Indian audience was swift in identifying what appeared to be Kolhapuris amongst the 56 looks. Except this time, worn by runway models with no cultural nod in sight. That struck a chord. Both Indian designers, stylists, and social media critics were quick to attack Prada, accusing the company of cultural appropriation.
This is not about sandals. It is about how India has such a rich tradition of artisanal work, and when it reaches international runways, so much of it just disappears. Lalit Gandhi, the president of the Maharashtra Chamber of Commerce, had sent a letter to Prada. His point was that you are stealing this heritage, and putting it in the market, but you are not giving credit or sharing profits with artisan communities who keep it alive.
To this, Bertelli replied. He clarified that the collection is still in an early development stage, and that “none of the pieces are confirmed for production or commercialization.” He added that Prada is committed to “responsible design practices,” and wants to foster cultural exchange, even suggesting possible engagement with local Indian artisans, like they’ve supposedly done in past collections.
Still, the damage is visible. This single controversy shows just how fast things can unravel. It could hit Prada’s image in India, especially with a younger generation that’s both fashion-obsessed and socially alert. It might even cause people to question the authenticity of Prada’s design process in footwear. Will competitors gain from this? Hard to say. But one thing’s clear, they’re all getting a masterclass on why cultural attribution matters.
