With the Italian luxury brand Prada signing a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with two government organisations that represent the interests of the Kolhapuri chappal makers, the curtain appears to have come down on a part of the controversy that erupted in June-July this year.
Under the MoU, Kolhapuri chappals will be designed and manufactured, combining the centuries-old traditional approach and Prada’s contemporary design sensibilities.
The exclusive chappal sets will be available at Prada’s retail outlets and on its official website from February next year. With this, the Indian open-toe footwear can truly be said to have arrived on the global luxury stage, but the story goes deeper than that.
Kolhapuris, as they are colloquially called, are a typical kind of Indian motif footwear made in and near Kolhapur in Maharashtra by traditional craftspersons for nearly a century. It took them weeks to craft a good pair and add the intricate motifs that became the hallmark of the footwear.
Kolhapuris were embraced and became the rage across the country, as India’s economy opened up and the footwear went well with the fusion Indo-Western attire, such as jeans and kurtis.
The footwear generated international controversy earlier this year when the likeness of Kolhapuri sandals/chappals was seen on the international ramp under the Prada label; the international brand attracted allegations of having copied the traditional Kolhapuri design without so much as an acknowledgement to the original makers. The Prada-government deal seeks to assuage the hurt feelings and give the artisans their due.
However, the question is how much the traditional artisans stand to benefit from the deal, as Prada plans to manufacture 2,000 pairs of Kolhapuri sandals in the coming few months. Each of these pairs, with the Prada label and assuring high-end buyers of the luxury quality, will carry a price tag of nearly $930 or 800 euros, which is ten times what the traditional Indian variant sells at.
The difference may even be explained by the differing sections of the market that the traditional artisans and Prada cater to and the purchasing capacity of each section. However, the question still lingers about the share that will accrue to artisans who will handcraft the footwear for Prada.
The lack of clarity on this is a telling sign of the balance of power in this equation between India’s traditional craftspersons and the global luxury brand, in which the latter frequently “drew inspiration” from India’s craftspersons but failed to acknowledge them or pay any royalty to them.
The outrage over Prada appropriating the Kolhapuri sandal/chappal came as the global conversation gathered momentum about arrogating soft power or cultural products, including in fashion, and the rights of native artisans and craftspersons. Traditionally, the latter have been exploited. The Prada deal should not entrench this under a new garb.
