India beckons Western fashion brands — but their cultural missteps can be costly
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When Prada sent several pairs of brown sandals with distinctive toe rings and intricate stitching down its menswear runway in Milan last month, observers were quick to point out their resemblance to a centuries-old piece of Indian heritage.
The storied Italian fashion house may have presented the shoes as a new luxury creation, but many in India simply saw a pair of Kolhapuri chappals — traditional hand-crafted sandals with roots stretching back to the 12th or 13th century.
Prada’s initial failure to acknowledge the inspiration behind the shoes, which had earlier been described by the brand simply as “leather flat sandals,” according to the Guardian, sparked fierce and ongoing debate over cultural appropriation. Critics accused the label of erasing the legacy of Indian artisans, with voices across social media calling out what they saw as blatant design theft.
Within a week, Prada had acknowledged in a letter to an Indian trade group that the sandals in its men’s Spring-Summer 2026 collection were indeed “inspired by traditional Indian footwear.” In a statement to CNN, the brand said it has “always celebrated craftsmanship, heritage and design.” Prada later added that it had met artisanal footwear manufacturers in India “to discuss potential opportunities for future collaboration.”
Prada’s readiness to confront the controversy could be a reflection of the fashion industry’s growing interest in India’s luxury consumers — and a reluctance to anger them. But the episode also epitomizes how Western labels have often struggled to meaningfully engage with the country’s crafts and culture.
A burgeoning luxury market
India’s luxury market is on a dramatic ascent, estimated to expand from $7.73 billion in 2023 to $11.3 billion by 2028 — a rate that would likely outpace most of the world’s major luxury markets, according to global consulting firm Kearney.
This projected growth is fueled by a rising middle class, increased urbanization and a new generation of brand-conscious, internationally minded young consumers. But today’s Indian luxury consumer is “no longer a singular archetype,” according to the celebrated Indian fashion designer Gaurav Gupta.
“We’re seeing a beautifully diverse audience, from second-gen industrialist families to first-gen digital entrepreneurs, artists and global citizens — who are all looking for something deeper than just a logo,” he said in an email.
