MUMBAI/KOLHAPUR: The ordinary Indian’s chappal is set to walk the high street of global fashion as Italian luxury brand Prada signed an MoU Thursday to launch a limited-edition collection of Kolhapuri Chappal – about 2,000 pairs – made in Maharashtra and Karnataka, report Asmita Dey and Abhijeet Patil. The deal was inked months after Prada came under fire over cultural misappropriation of the Kolhapuri Chappal.The sandals will come with a price tag of around 800 euros ($930) or roughly around Rs 84,000 and will be available at Prada’s 40 select stores worldwide and its website starting Feb. Prada doesn’t have any official retail store in India (except for a beauty store in Delhi), so if you want to buy a pair of these made-in India sandals, you will have to fly abroad.“Combining traditional techniques with Prada’s contemporary design and premium materials, the collection creates a unique dialogue between Indian heritage and modern luxury expression,” Prada said in a statement.Suraj Satpute, a young sandal maker from Kolhapur, told TOI, “We have high hopes from this collaboration since it will preserve the art of making our traditional chappals. Artisans can showcase their talent on a global stage. We expect Prada to provide us with good quality soft leather so that we can make chappals as per customers’ needs.” In response to an email from TOI, Prada said it would in collaboration with local industry bodies implement local training for artisans. Commerce minister Piyush Goyal said there’s a potential to export Kolhapuri Chappals worth $1 billion in long term.
