Prada has acknowledged its new footwear line is inspired by Geographical Indications-tagged Kolhapuri chappals, days after outrage over alleged cultural appropriation. Since the allegation is about unauthorised copying, the local artisans can take legal action as per the Italian law, explains TC James
l What had Prada done?
ITALIAN LUXURY BRAND Prada recently unveiled its Men’s Spring/Summer 2026 collection, where it showcased what it called “leather flat sandals”. The sandals drew attention for their resemblance to Kolhapuri chappals or sandals, the traditional handcrafted leather footwear made in India. Prada also handed out leather “ring” tokens at the event, showing the toe-loop design that is a signature element of the Kolhapuri chappals.
Following criticism of the brand’s lack of public acknowledgement of the Indian footwear design, Lorenzo Bertelli, son of Prada’s owners, wrote to to the Maharashtra Chamber of Commerce, Industry and Agriculture recognising the Indian heritage. “We acknowledge that the sandals… are inspired by traditional Indian handcrafted footwear, with a centuries-old heritage,” wrote Bertelli, Prada’s head of corporate social responsibility. The sandals are at an early stage of design and it is not certain they will be commercialised, but Prada is open to a “dialogue for meaningful exchange with local Indian artisans” and will arrange follow-up meetings, he wrote.
l Do Kolhapuri chappals have the GI tag?
KOLHAPURI CHAPPALS WERE given the Geographical Indication (GI) tag in 2018. Eight districts — Kolhapur, Sangli, Solapur, and Satara in Maharashtra, and Belgaum, Dharwad, Bagalkot, and Bijapur in Karnataka — have been designated as places of origin. The registered proprietors are Sant Rohidas Leather Industries and Charmakar Development Corporation (LIDCOM), Mumbai, and Dr Babu Jagjivan Ram Leather Industries Development Corporation Ltd (LIDKAR), Bengaluru. There are 93 authorised users consisting of artisans and producers in the specified districts. These chappals are priced Rs 1,000-4,000, though the actual artisan may get only Rs 400 per pair. Many of them work with rural cooperatives even as they struggle with shrinking markets and competition from factory-made imitations.
l What is a Geographical Indication?
A GI IS a form of intellectual property right. It is a distinctive sign applied to a product that has a certain specific quality, characteristic or reputation that is essentially attributable to its place of origin or production. It is a means to identify and protect a product which has a unique link to its place of production. The sign can be any name, logo or combination of the same pointing to the geographical source of the product. It need not necessarily be a geographical name. The products can include natural items like Makrana Marble, agricultural products such as Darjeeling tea or Coorg coffee, handicrafts like Chanderi Sarees, or manufactured goods like Mysore Sandal Soap. The broad idea is that the GI tag gives consumers a guarantee of authenticity, quality and distinctiveness linked to origin. Producers get protection from competitors exploiting the product’s reputation.
l GI vs trademark
A GI IDENTIFIES a product as originating from a specific location, with qualities or a reputation linked to that place. A trademark (TM) is a name, term, design, or symbol that identifies a product or service and distinguishes it from others. A GI indicates the geographical source of a product whereas a trademark identifies the commercial source. Collective ownership is a common feature of GI while a TM is usually with a single legal entity unless it is a collective or a certification mark. The GI has links to a product’s reputation and specific place of origin but a brand can be manufactured anywhere. GI and TM can simultaneously exist in a product. India enacted the Geographical Indications of Goods (Registration and Protection) Act in 1999, effective from September 15, 2003, in fulfilment of its obligations under the TRIPS Agreement. This Act provided for a system of registering products, their proprietors, and authorised users. The registration gives an exclusive right to use the GI on the goods. The proprietor can take legal action against a person using the GI without being an authorised user.
l Is global protection available to GI items?
GI RIGHTS ARE territorial but as per the Trade Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS) Agreement 1994, countries are to protect GIs of other countries. There is, however, no common practice on protection. Some countries like the USA use the trademark law and some countries have specific laws. The European Union has extensive regulations on protection of GIs. Protection can be obtained either through registration as per national laws or through bilateral or regional agreements between countries. In case of infringement of a GI in a foreign country, the affected party can take legal action as per the law of that country.
It is alleged that Prada has copied the design without authorisation. Thus the proprietors of the Kolhapuri chappals GI can take legal action as per the Italian law.
The writer is president, NIPO