Prada 'open for exchange' with local artisans

Days after an open-toe sandal design by Prada sparked a furore among Indian artisans and politicians, the luxury fashion house acknowledged the ancient Indian roots of the design in a statement that suggested they were open for a "dialogue for meaningful exchange with local Indian artisans".

- Saurbha Kulshreshtha

MUMBAI:

Images from Prada's fashion show in Milan last weekend showed models wearing leather sandals with a braided design that resembled handmade Kolhapuri slippers with designs dating back to the 12th century.

A wave of criticism in the media and from lawmakers followed over the Italian brand's lack of public acknowledgement of the Indian sandal design, which is named after a city in the western state of Maharashtra.

Lorenzo Bertelli, son of Prada's owners, responded to the sandal scandal in a letter to a trade group on Friday recognising their Indian heritage.

"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.