Indian businessman and billionaire Harsh Goenka has accused Italian luxury fashion house Prada of copying India’s Kolhapuri chappals and selling them at an outrageous price, without giving credit to the original makers of the design.
Taking to X (formerly Twitter), Goenka shared a photo of shoes from Prada’s Men’s Spring/Summer 2026 collection and wrote: “Prada is selling items resembling Kolhapuri chappals for more than Rs. 1 lakh. Our artisans craft the same manually for Rs. 400. They suffer, while international brands benefit from our culture. Sad!”
Prada is selling products looking like Kolhapuri chappals for over ₹1 lakh. Our artisans make the same by hand for ₹400. They lose, while global brands cash in on our culture. Sad! pic.twitter.com/Cct4vOimKs
— Harsh Goenka (@hvgoenka) June 26, 2025
Kohlapuri Chappals Debut at Prada Runway
The said footwear was featured during Prada’s latest runway show at the Deposito of the Fondazione Prada in Milan, headed by designers Miuccia Prada and Raf Simons. The collection, which has been commended for its futuristic appeal, has also faced criticism online for what many perceive as cultural appropriation and underrepresentation.
The accident has fueled outrage among Kolhapur’s artisan community in Maharashtra, the origin of the Kolhapuri chappals. The 12th-century hand-stitched leather sandals were granted a Geographical Indication (GI) tag in 2019 for their local and cultural importance.
A delegation of Kolhapuri chappal makers met Maharashtra’s Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Thursday in response to the controversy. It was led by BJP Rajya Sabha MP Dhananjay Mahadik, who demanded the state government take up the matter with the Centre, claiming Prada had copied the traditional design without recognition or compensation for local artisans.
Though genuine Kolhapuri chappals usually sell in the range of Rs. 1,000 to Rs. 4,000, craftsmen receive as low as Rs. 400 a pair for their skillful, handmade effort.
