Craft and Credibility

When a Milan runway becomes the unlikely stage for Kolhapur’s traditional leather sandals, it reveals more than just a fleeting fashion statement ~ it exposes the paradox at the heart of how India values its own craftsmanship. For generations, artisans in Kolhapur, many from Dalit communities, have quietly sustained an 800-year-old tradition of making Kolhapuri chappals ~ durable, beautifully braided, and completely handmade. These sandals were never meant for the catwalk. They were built for everyday life, molded by weather, faith, and the rhythm of small-town streets. But like many crafts rooted in caste-based labour, they suffered from indifference, if not outright neglect. Their makers remained invisible, and their work underpaid and underacknowledged.

Then came Prada’s Spring/Summer 2026 collection, showcasing a sandal unmistakably similar to the Kolhapuri. The brand offered no initial credit. Yet ironically, it was this act of cultural appropriation that reignited interest in the very craft it had borrowed from. Online outrage surged. Global attention followed. And suddenly, Kolhapuri chappals were no longer relics of rural India ~ they were aspirational, desirable, even elite. The controversy has done what years of policymaking could not ~ it’s made young Indians pause and reconsider a craft once dismissed as outdated, caste-bound, and economically unviable. The real story here is not about Prada. It is about how centuries-old Indian craftsmanship still requires external validation before it is seen as valuable. This is not a new phenomenon. From turmeric to yoga, the pattern is familiar.

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A global brand repackages Indian culture; only then does the domestic gaze turn back with renewed interest. What was ordinary becomes extraordinary, not by innovation, but by the mere stamp of foreign luxury. For Kolhapur’s artisans, the attention is welcome ~ but it is also bittersweet. Most are cautious, unsure if promises of collaboration will translate into lasting support or fade as the news cycle shifts.

They know the value of their work is rooted not in trends but in tradition, skill, and human labour passed down through generations. They want respect, not rescue. India must ask itself: why do we need Milan to notice Kolhapur before we do? Why are GI tags, heritage status, and centuries of craft not enough to spark national pride? If Kolhapuri sandals now attract young artisans because of a possible link to Prada, we should reflect on why that dignity wasn’t already there.

The Kolhapuri chappal may soon straddle two worlds ~ local tradition and global fashion. But its soul lies in the narrow bylanes of Chappal Gali, where hands still tan leather with babool bark and braid straps with learned precision. For the revival to be real, India must value those hands ~ not just when the West applauds, but every day. Because when we look at our heritage through someone else’s lens, we don’t just risk losing it ~ we forget what made it ours to begin with.