A Win For Artisans: 40+ GI Tags To Be Given Out After The Kolhapuri Row

Last week, at Italian luxury mammoth Prada’s Spring-Summer 2026 men’s presentation–online Indian spectators, found themselves unintentionally recreating the famous 'hey-I-know-that' Leonardo DiCaprio meme from Once Upon a Time in Hollywood.

Models donned ready-to-wear separates and utilitarian bags—nothing shockingly new. Only to be met by quick glances of confusion and in some cases, a nod of amused approval (short-lived fyi), upon scanning the footwear offerings worn by some of the models. In the frame were Kolhapuri chappals—a hallmark style of flat footwear that is increasingly worn, cherished and celebrated by folks from India, with roots from a historically significant city in Maharashtra as the name suggests. Kolhapur.

Excitement did its usual rounds. 

“Yay, the west is finally catching up.”

“Indian fashion is finally going global, love to see it.”

This was the general slew of opinions dominating the first few hours post the show on the internet. Then something shifted. Informed folks took to their handles to cut through the clutter and offered a newer perspective on why this very celebratory tangent reeked of a colonial hangover parceled in herd mentality. Look, Kolhapuris have long existed since the 12th century. In fact, they’re also protected by the GI tag, aka a sign used on products that have a specific geographical origin and possess qualities or a reputation that are due to that origin, as per the World Intellectual Property Organization.

Why Safeguard The Legacy

The real craft sustains, only because of the artisan families that continue to carry forward that legacy. The real craft sustains, only because the sons and daughters of these ageing artisans choose to work towards its preservation over doing anything else. The real craft sustains because despite massy production brands selling multiple variants of a product, a true appreciator always gravitates towards the original, come rain or shine. Thus, it becomes essential to safeguard the interests of these artisans from Western Maharashtra—it’s not that they were credited at the start. Nada, zilch. It was only after people cried foul about the violation of the GI tag did Prada deliver a statement offering a somewhat-vague response. “We are in contact with Maharashtra Chamber of Commerce on this topic,” they concluded, in an Instagram post caption shedding light on their side of the story. 

Move Towards Empowerment

With the huge buzz that this topic generated—Maharashtra government recently announced that it’s swiftly working towards securing 40 GI tags for state-specific products. A swift move that is appreciated. As per reports, Maharashtra’s Development Commissioner Deependra Singh Kushwah, is quoted to have mentioned that the ‘One District One Product’ (ODOP) scheme will be fleshed out, protecting two culturally-rich products from each district in a bid to empower local producers and enable better outreach plus distribution. 

Why is this timely, you may ask? Well, India has long served as an inspiration for numerous international biggies in the fashion space. India doesn’t ‘need’ their stamp of approval—we produce it here, from the ground up. All the big couture maisons get their embroideries done in the quaint bylanes of Mumbai, so yes, one could say ‘they’ need us. Their exorbitant mark-up price helping them stay afloat is all thanks to us—it’s high time we get our due. Respectfully.

Also Read:

Depression Hair Is Not A Trend: Why Fashion’s Latest Obsession Misses The Point

In India's Rural Areas, These Artisan Organisations Are Helping Women Build A Future