The controversy surrounding Italian luxury fashion house Prada featuring footwear "inspired" by Kolhapuri chappals seems to be snowballing. Days after the brand broke silence amid backlash, a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) has been filed in the Bombay High Court, seeking compensation for Kolhapuri chappal artisans.
The plea also alleged that the Italian brand copied the Kolhapuri chappals design in the Prada Men's 2026 Fashion Show. However, the brand had earlier issued a statement saying the footwear was "inspired by traditional Indian handcrafted footwear, with a centuries-old heritage".
Prada had launched the footwear as 'Toe Ring Sandals', which the PIL alleges bore a strong resemblance, both stylistically and culturally, to the GI-tagged Kolhapuri chappals.
Geographical Indication (GI) is a status under the Geographical Indications of Goods (Registration and Protection) Act, 1999.
The sandals, priced at over ₹1 lakh per pair, were featured during an international fashion event held in Milan, Italy, on June 22, and have been rebranded under the European label without acknowledging their true origins, the plea stated.
“This Public Interest Litigation seeks directions and appropriate reliefs, including an injunction and damages/compensation for the unauthorised commercialisation of a GI-tagged product, which has caused significant harm to the community traditionally associated with it, particularly in Maharashtra State,” news agency ANI quoted the plea.
{{/usCountry}}“This Public Interest Litigation seeks directions and appropriate reliefs, including an injunction and damages/compensation for the unauthorised commercialisation of a GI-tagged product, which has caused significant harm to the community traditionally associated with it, particularly in Maharashtra State,” news agency ANI quoted the plea.
{{/usCountry}}The plea was filed by Intellectual Property Rights advocate Ganesh S Hingemire on July 2, accuses Prada of misrepresentation, cultural appropriation, and unauthorised commercial exploitation of the Kolhapuri chappal.
What did Prada say?
Facing backlash over the footwear's stark resemblance to the Kolhapuri chappals, and them being priced at a whopping ₹1 lakh, Prada had issued a statement acknowledging the sandals' heritage.
“We acknowledge that the sandals featured in the recent Prada Men's 2026 Fashion Show are inspired by traditional Indian handcrafted footwear, with a centuries-old heritage. We deeply recognize the cultural significance of such Indian craftsmanship,” wrote Lorenzo Bertelli, Prada Group Head of Corporate Social Responsibility.
The brand also noted that that the designs were in the early stages and were not yet approved for production.
However, the plea in Bombay High Court seeks a public apology from the Italian luxury brand. The petition argues that sentiments are attached with the Kolhapuri chappals and that the brand's acknowledgement was neither public nor official and was made only after facing significant backlash on social media.
"The brand has not yet issued any formal apology along with any damages, compensation and entitled remedy and the statement appears to be merely a superficial attempt to deflect criticism, " read the PIL.
It has also called for the implementation of stricter protections for traditional Indian designs and GI-tagged products in India.
(With ANI inputs)