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Prada's Limited Edition Kolhapuri Chappal-Inspired Sandal Collection Brings Indian Artisan Craft to 40 Stores Worldwide
- Style Essentials Edit Team
- Apr 30
- 2 min read
Prada has spent over a decade running its Made In project, identifying master craftspeople across the world and building contemporary collections around their techniques, and the latest chapter lands in India with a limited-edition sandal collection inspired by the Kolhapuri Chappal, manufactured by skilled artisans from the Maharashtra and Karnataka regions, where this GI-tagged craft has been made by hand for generations; it is now available in 40 selected Prada stores globally and on Prada.com.
The collection is developed in collaboration with LIDCOM, the Sant Rohidas Leather Industries and Charmakar Development Corporation established by the Government of Maharashtra in 1974, and LIDKAR, the Dr. Babu Jagjivan Ram Leather Industries Development Corporation established by the Government of Karnataka in 1976, both of which have spent decades safeguarding and promoting the traditional leather craft communities whose work sits at the heart of this project. What Prada has built around that craft foundation is a dialogue between the traditional hand techniques of Kolhapuri construction and the brand's contemporary design language and premium materials, producing something that carries the heritage of the original without reducing it to a reference or a surface detail.
Alongside the collection, Prada has announced a fully funded three-year artisan training program reaching 180 craftspeople across the eight districts of India where Kolhapuri Chappals are traditionally manufactured, running in structured six-month modules and delivered in partnership with the National Institute of Fashion Technology and the Karnataka Institute of Leather and Fashion Technology. The program covers design fundamentals, digital skills, trend literacy, and the complete journey from product development to market readiness, with dedicated studios at each institute equipped for hands-on learning and select participants from each module provided the opportunity to continue their training at the Prada Group Academy in Italy under the group's Maestros. Applications for the first 30 seats open in May 2026 across the LIDCOM, LIDKAR, NIFT, and KILT websites, with the first module commencing this summer. The program will be funded in part through proceeds from the sale of the limited-edition sandal collection itself.
Lorenzo Bertelli, Prada Group Head of Corporate Social Responsibility, has described the program as translating a shared cultural dialogue into a concrete opportunity for learning and growth, making the point that supporting artisans through structured training is simultaneously an act of cultural preservation, community investment, and a commitment to ensuring that traditional craftsmanship continues to evolve and find relevance in contemporary markets rather than becoming a static heritage reference. For a craft as technically specific and culturally embedded as the Kolhapuri Chappal, that combination of global visibility through a luxury collection and localized skill investment through a structured training program represents one of the more considered approaches to craft collaboration that the luxury industry has produced recently.
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