At Prada’s Spring/Summer 2026 menswear show, all eyes were on these sandals — sleek, elegant, strikingly familiar.
To Indians, it was instantly recognisable.
The Kolhapuri chappal originated in the town of Kolhapur, Maharashtra, and is stitched entirely by hand.
So what’s the issue with “inspiration”?
The problem is power.
When luxury brands wear what comes from the margins — the turban, the pheran, the Kolhapuri chappal — and sell it as fashion, it comes stripped of history, pain, and meaning.
Watch the full video to know more.
