Italian fashion house Prada's team in Kolhapur, interacts with Chappal makers

The Prada team visited Kolhapur and met the artisans and shopkeepers to know more about the iconic Kolhapuri chappals.

One of the shopkeepers told ANI, "Yesterday, the Prada team that came to Kolhapur to see how these chapppals are made, today they came to see that shop in the biggest market of Kolhapur. Where Kolhapuri chappals are sold in the market where Kolhapuri chappals are sold. When they came to see in the market, they liked our leather bag, which is used by conductors or petrol pumps or to keep the cash. They had come to see authentic leather bags and liked our Kolhapur, especially the Kapashi Kolhapuri chappal."

"A team has come from Italy to check all the manufacturing units of Kohapuri chappals and to see the technical parts as Prada enters the retail market in Kolhapur, " said another vendor.

Another shopkeeper said, "The team that came from Italy personally recorded the manufacturing process of Kolhapuri chappals in the local market. We offer authentic stitching and original quality Kolhapuri chappals."

Following a massive backlash for plagiarising Indian artisans' work, Prada accepted that its latest summer wear collection was "inspired by Indian artisans". However, the petitioners claim that the fashion brand (Prada) has not issued any "formal apology" along with any "damages", "compensation" and "entitled remedy" to the Maharashtrian artisans.

Lorenzo Bertelli, son of Prada's owners, responded to the backlas in a letter to a trade group recognising their Indian heritage, reported news agency Reuters.

"We acknowledge that the sandals... are inspired by traditional Indian handcrafted footwear, with a centuries-old heritage," Bertelli, Prada's head of corporate social responsibility, wrote in the letter to the Maharashtra Chamber of Commerce.

In the first week of July, a public interest litigation (PIL) was filed in the Bombay High Court demanding that the Italian fashion house Prada pay compensation to the Kolhapuri chappal artisans for allegedly copying their design in their latest unveiled summer collection.Kolhapuri Chappal is already protected as a Geographical Indication (GI) under the Geographical Indications of Goods (Registration and Protection) Act, 1999.

This Public Interest Litigation sought 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. (ANI)