Why Indian footwear artisans are upset with luxury Italian label

Western Indian city of Kolhapur has found itself into an unexpected global headlines, as thousands of local artisans have prepared traditional leather shoes by hand, who are making a collective attack on luxury fashion label Prada for their designs without credit.

The 58 -year -old Sadashiva Sanke’s low -light workshop is a hard piece witness behind handcraft of the prestigious Kolhapuri leather sandals of the hammer pounding.

“I learned crafts as a child,” he tells the BBC. One day toilet goes to make only “eight to 10 pairs” of these sandals, which he says, retail on a minor $ 8-10

In Kolhapur, barely 5,000 artisans are still in the profession – a cottage industry that struggles to compete in a mechanized world, caught in disappointing working conditions and lower wages.

It is no surprise that when the Italian luxury brand Prada released a new line of footwear, which instigated a striking equality for Kolhapuri sandals – but did not mention the origin of the design – local artisans were in weapons.

The backlash was sharp. Social media was filled with allegations of cultural appropriation, with which Prada issued a statement accepting the roots of sandals.

Now local politicians and industry associations have thrown their weight behind artisans who want better recognition of crafts and its cultural heritage.

Mr. Sanke was not aware of Prada’s show until the BBC showed him a video of it. When it was reported that sandals may have retail for hundreds of pounds in luxury markets, they said. “Do they have gold?” He asked.

Prada has not revealed the price tag between £ 600 to £ 1,000 in the UK as per his website, but its other sandals retail.

The early records of Kolhapur Sandals are in the 12th century.

Kavita Gagrani, a history professor at New College, Kolhapur, said, “These sandals were originally prepared by the marginalized Charmkar (Mochi) community members who are also known as Chamers.”

Chamar is a pejorative caste word used to describe Dalits (formerly known as untouchables) that work with animal skins.

“But in the beginning of the 20th century, the craft was fluffy when the then ruler of Kolhapur, Chhatrapati Shahu Maharaj gave the community royal protection,” said Ms. Gagrani.

Today, about 100,000 artisans across India are in trade with an industry of over $ 200M, according to the Maharashtra Chamber of Commerce, Industry and Agriculture, a major industry trade group.

Nevertheless, most of them continue to work in unorganized setups under disappointing circumstances.

60-year-old Sunita Satpute said, “I was never educated. I all know, and I earn about $ 4-5 in a day, based on the number of orders.”

He said that women play an important role, especially in engraving a fine pattern, but not proper compensation for their long hours of labor, he said.

Therefore, Sunita’s children do not want to continue craft.

A short distance from his workshop is Kolhapur’s famous slippers, or sandal lane, a group of stores – many of them are struggling to remain.

“Leather has become very expensive and has increased our cost,” Anil Dopod said, one of the first sellers to open a shop here.

Traditionally, artisans will use cow and buffalo hiding to make these sandals. But since 2014, when the Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) came to power, there have been many reports of vigilance protesters or activists – alleged cow slaughter, sometimes with physical violence. The cow is considered sacred by Hindus.

In 2015, the state of Maharashtra banned the slaughter and consumption of cows and sales and consumption of beef, forcing the artisans to rely on Buffalo leather from neighboring states, increasing their production costs.

Traditional vendors are also struggling to compete with the market synthetic copies of floods.

The second generation Kolhapuri sandal seller Rohit Balakrishna Gawli said, “Customers want cheap sandals and cannot always tell the difference.”

Industry experts say the dispute highlights the need for a better institutional structure to protect the rights of artisans.

In 2019, the Government of India honored Kolhapuri sandals with a geographical signal (GI) – a mark of authenticity that protects its name and design within India, prevents unauthorized use by outsiders.

Globally, however, there is no binding law that prevents other countries or brands from imitating aesthetics.

Mumbai -based advocate Aishwarya Sandeep says that India can raise the issue in the World Trade Organization under the agreement (aspects related to trade of intellectual property rights) agreement, of which it is a signator.

But this system is cumbersome, expensive and often lacks introduction in both India and abroad.

McCiya President Lalit Gandhi says that his organization is planning to patent Kolhapuri sandal design, hoping to set a legal example for future matters.

But some people say that real changes can only happen when India starts looking at its traditional heritage in a different light.

“This is about moral belief. India should push for royalty-sharing and co-branding,” says Ritu Berry, a famous designer. “The more we pride at our culture, the less we will exploit.”

Of course, this is not the first time that a global fashion brand has been accused of appreciating Indian handicrafts.

Many large labels have not reduced the work of Indian clothes and embroidery, in which there is no artist cooperation. “Chikankari (a delicate hand with a delicate hand from the city of Lucknow), Ikat (a textile-dyeing technique), mirror work; they have all been used repeatedly. Artisans with their inspiration remain invisible during the benefits of brands,” says Ms. Berry.

However, Mr. Gandhi says that Prada’s support of Kolhapuri sandals can also be beneficial for artisans.

“Under their label, value [of Kolhapuri sandals] He says, “They say.”

Rohit Balakrishna Gawli, a slippers in Kolhapur, agrees – he has already started seeing the difference.

He said, “The use of Design Prada was not very popular, but now people are asking for it, giving” order with Dubai, US and Qatar customers “, they say.

“Sometimes, the dispute can help,” he says. “But it would be good if it also brought respect and better prices for those who keep this tradition alive.”

This issue is unlikely to die soon.

For now, a petition has been filed in a High Court, in which Prada has demanded loss and compensation to the artisans as well as a court-supervision cooperation between the luxury label and artisan associations.

Prada has told the BBC in a statement that it is interacting with McCia on the matter.

Mr. Gandhi, its head, says that a meeting between the two sides is going to be held next week.

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