Why Indian Craftsmen Shoes upset the luxury Italian label

The Western Indian city of Kalhapur was in an unlikely global attention, as thousands of local artisans who manually reinforce the collective attack on the luxurious fashion label Prada for plagiarism without credit.

The rhythmic knocking hammer in the 58-year-old fruit Sadashiva testifies to the rigid grinding hand that throws the iconic sandals of Kolhapuri.

“I learned the ship as a kid,” he says the BBC. Work a day goes to make “eight to 10 pairs” of these sandals that he says retail trading for modest $ 8-10

Hardly 5,000 artisans in the Kalhapur are still in the profession – the cottage industry, which fights for competing in a mechanized world, which has fallen into funnel working conditions and low salaries.

Then it is not surprising that when an Italian luxury brand Prada released a new shoe line that gave a strange resemblance to Kolhapuri sandals – but did not mention the origin of the design – local artisans were in weapons.

The reaction was fast. Social media were flooded by the allegations of culture by prompting Prada to issue a statement Recognizing the roots of sandals.

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

Mr. Sanek did not know about the Haming Show until the BBC showed him a video. When they said that the sandals could sell hundreds of pounds in luxury markets, he mocked. “Do they have gold?” he asked.

Prada did not find a price tag, but its other sandals within 600 to 1000 pounds in the UK according to their site.

The earliest kolhapur sandals dated to the 12th century.

“Initially, these sandals were created by members of the marginalized Charmakar community, also known as shamarah,” said Cavate Gagrani, a professor of history at a new college at Kalhapur.

Chamar is a caste term used to describe Dalit (previously known as untouchable) that work with animal skins.

“But in the early 20th century, the craft flourished when the then head of the Kalhapur Chakhtropati Shah Maharadj gave the royal patronage of this community,” Mr. Gagrei said.

Today, almost 100,000 artisans across India are engaged in trade from the industry worth more than $ 200 million, according to the large industry trading group Maharashtra.

However, most of them continue to work in unorganized institutions in gloomy conditions.

“I have never got an education. That’s all I know and I earn about $ 4-5 a day, depending on the number of orders,” said 60-year-old Sunita Sutput.

Women like her critical role, especially in engraving small samples manually, but are not offset honestly for their long hours of work, she said.

That’s why children Sunni do not want to continue crafts.

Not far from her workshop lies the famous Chappal Guli Kalhapur, or Sandal Lane, Showcina group – many of them are struggling to remain afloat.

“The skin became very expensive and pushed our expenses,” said Anil Daipod, one of the first sellers who opened the store here.

Traditionally, artisans will use a cow and buffalo to make these sandals. But since 2014, when the Hindu nationalist Bharatia Jonatia (BJP) came to power, there have been several reports of vigilance – self -expired participants of the rally or activists – angry with the alleged slaughter of cows, sometimes with physical violence. The Hindus cow is considered holy.

In 2015, Maharashtra banned the slaughter of cows and the sale and consumption of beef, forcing artisans to rely on the buffalo’s skin obtained from the neighboring states, pushing their production costs.

Traditional sellers also fight for competition with synthetic copies that pour the market.

“Customers want cheaper barefoot and can not always tell the difference,” said Rokhit Bulcrishna, a second-generation kolhapuri, a seller.

Galina experts note that the dispute emphasizes the need for a better institutional base to protect the rights of artisans.

In 2019, the Indian government rewarded Kolhapuri Sandals Geographic Sandments (GI) – a sign of authenticity that protects its name and design in India, preventing unauthorized use by outsiders.

However, there is no mandatory law on the global scale that stops other countries and brands from aesthetic imitation.

Aishvaria Sandip, a defender founded in Mumbai, says that India may raise the issue in the World Trade Organization within the framework of the trips agreement (trade aspects of intellectual property rights) from which the signatories are.

But the system is cumbersome, expensive and often lacking, both in India and abroad, she adds.

Lolita Gandhi, President McCia, says his organization plans to patent the design of Kolhapuri sandals, hoping to create a legal precedent for future affairs.

But some say that real changes can happen only when India begins to see its traditional heritage in another light.

“It is an ethical recognition. India should push for the sharing of royalty and joint branding,” says Rita Beri, a famous designer. “The more we are proud of our culture, the less we will be exploited.”

Of course, this is not the first time the global fashion brand was accused of assigning Indian crafts.

Many large labels have presented Indian fabrics and embroidery with virtually no artist cooperation. “Take Chikankari (a delicate style of hand-ember from the northern Indian city of Laknau), Ikat (fabric formation technique), mirror work; all of them were repeatedly used. Artisans remain invisible, and brands make a profit from inspiration,” says Mrs. Ber.

Mr. Gandhi, however, says that the approval of Prada sandals can also be useful for artisans.

“Under their label, the value (Sandals of the Kalhapur) will increase,” he says. “But we want some share of this profit to be transferred to artisans to improve.”

Rokhit Bulcrishna Balkrishna, Sandal Seller in Kalhapur, agrees – he has already begun to see the difference.

“The Prada design is not even very popular, but now people ask for this when customers from Dubai, USA and Qatar,” which place orders, he says.

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

The problem is unlikely to die soon.

Currently, the Supreme Court has filed a request that requires the payment of Prada to loss and compensation for artisans, as well as judicial cooperation between the label and the craft associations.

In a BBC Prada statement, the BBC said he was negotiating with MCCIA on the matter.

Mr. Gandhi, his chief, says that a meeting of two parties will take place next week.

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