Indian footwear sellers and artisans are tapping into nationalist pride stoked by the Prada ‘sandal scandal’ in a bid to boost sales of ethnic slippers with history dating back to the 12th century, raising hopes of reviving a struggling craft.
Sales are surging over the past week for the ‘Kolhapuri’ sandals that have garnered global attention after Prada sparked a controversy by showcasing similar designs in Milan, without initially crediting the footwear’s origins.
After viral photos from a fashion show drew criticism from Indian artisans who make the sandals – named after a historic city in Maharashtra state – Prada was forced to acknowledge that its new open-toe footwear was inspired by ancient Indian designs.
“Prada 0: Kolhapur 1,” said an Instagram post by e-commerce website Shopkop, whose founder Rahul Parasu Kamble’s open letter to Prada pointing out the footwear is “soaked in tradition” was reshared 36,000 times on social media.
“I saw the controversy as a way to promote Kolhapuri,” said Kamble, 33, who has seen sales of sandals he sources from local artisans touch 50,000 rupees ($584) in three days, five times the average.
Social media has been abuzz in recent days with criticism and sarcastic memes, with politicians, artisans and a trade body demanding due credit to Indian heritage.
Prada has said it will arrange follow-up meetings with artisans. In a statement to Reuters on Tuesday, it added the Italian group intends to make the sandals in India in collaboration with local manufacturers, if it commercialises them.
India’s luxury market is small but growing, with the rich splurging on Lamborghini cars and pricey watches. Prada does not have a single retail store in India and its products are usually reserved for the super rich – its men’s leather sandals start retailing at $844, while Kolhapuris can be priced as low as $12.
But linking of the Prada name to the Kolhapuri sandals, which are made by around 7,000 artisans, is providing a business opportunity for some.
Mumbai-based Ira Soles is running new Facebook and Instagram advertisements which proclaim its $32 “Tan Handcrafted Kolhapuris just walked the ramp at Prada … Limited stock. Global spotlight. Own a piece of what the world is applauding.”.
E-commerce website Niira is offering up to 50% discounts on its Kolhapuri slippers it says are “rooted in tradition”. Its sales of $18 sandals, that looked like the one Prada showcased in Milan, have tripled, founder Nishant Raut said.
“Why can’t an Indian Kolhapuri brand become as big as a Birkenstock,” he said.
Handmade in small factories, Kolhapuri sandals, or chappals as they are called in Hindi, are often paired with Indian attire. Similar designs are sold in big outlets of Bata India and Metro Brands, and also on Amazon and Walmart’s Flipkart.
In 2021, India’s government said the sandals could achieve $1 billion a year in exports. Though latest estimates are not available, artisans say the business has struggled as consumers increasingly opt for more fashionable, upmarket footwear.
Still, the Prada controversy is breathing new life into a craft that Lalit Gandhi, president of Maharashtra’s main industry lobby group, says is “a dying art”. Gandhi said he is in talks with Prada to develop a co-branded, limited-edition sandal.
Kolhapur craftsmen Ashok Doiphode, 50, is pinning hopes on a Prada boost. He hand-stitches sandals for nine hours daily but can sell a pair for just 400 rupees ($5).
“If big companies like Prada come, craftsman like me can get a good price.”
Marking 25 years in the business, Portuguese footwear brand Leira has unveiled a new website—developed with Felgueiras Magazine Soluções Web—to showcase its craftsmanship, values, and growing global presence.
Leira shoe factory in Felgueiras marks 25 years with digital platform debut – Felgueiras Magazine
Based in Felgueiras, a city renowned as one of Portugal’s leading footwear manufacturing hubs, Leira has established a reputation over the past two decades for its commitment to craftsmanship, tradition, and sustainable practices. The new platform—available at Leira.pt—aims to reflect the company’s core values while showcasing its evolution and ambition to expand further in international markets.
“With an elegant design, intuitive navigation, and carefully crafted content, the website aims to strengthen the connection between the brand and its customers, partners, and wider community,” Felgueiras Magazine said in a statement.
Leira’s CEO, Isabel Teixeira, described the digital launch as a significant milestone.
“We wanted a website that truly reflects who we are—simple, genuine, and crafted with care,” said CEO Isabel Teixeira. “It needed to mirror our approach: thoughtful, responsible, and rooted in a deep respect for craftsmanship.”
She added, “After 25 years, this platform lets us present who we are today while remaining open to new ideas and challenges. It’s our way of welcoming others and sharing what drives us.”
The website outlines Leira’s mission: to deliver strong footwear collections that meet current market demands while upholding the company’s values of precision, confidentiality, and fair pricing. At its foundation is a long-term vision rooted in trust-based partnerships and collaborative growth.
With a skilled team, modern production facilities, and a commitment to detail, Leira has grown into a trusted partner for global brands. Today, more than 95% of its production is exported, underscoring its ability to consistently deliver international-quality footwear.
This article is an automatic translation. Click here to read the original article.
Qatar-based investment fund Mayhoola and Gucci-owner Kering are reportedly considering selling their jointly owned fashion house Valentino, according to an Italian daily.
Kering and Mayhoola may sell Valentino, reports Italian daily – Reuters
The decision is part of a broader portfolio review by Kering, as the French luxury group faces rising debt, softening global demand for high-end fashion, and pressure on the stock market, Corriere della Sera reported Friday.
Kering acquired a 30% stake in Valentino in 2023 for $1.7 billion, with a commitment to purchase the remaining 70% by 2028. The move was intended to establish a second flagship brand alongside Gucci, rooted in couture heritage.
Kering’s newly appointed chief executive, Luca de Meo—former CEO of carmaker Renault—is expected to take charge of the situation after officially starting on September 15. The newspaper noted that Kering declined to comment, and Mayhoola did not respond to a request for comment.
Valentino, headquartered in Rome, announced last month that its chief executive officer, Jacopo Venturini, is on medical leave.
Last year, the brand appointed Alessandro Michele as its new creative director following the departure of long-serving designer Pierpaolo Piccioli. In the same year, Valentino reported a 2% decline in revenue at constant exchange rates, reaching 1.31 billion euros ($1.52 billion).
As Britain’s most prominent luxury label, Burberry’s results re always closely watched, but even more so since it started struggling and issuing profit warnings. And on Friday its Q1 figures were in the spotlight.
DR
So how did it do in the 13 weeks to late June? It’s not back in top form, although there were very clear signs of progress. The company said that its retail revenue fell 6% on a reported basis to £433 million and it was down 2% at constant exchange rates (CER), stripping out the negative impact of currency effects that have been denting a lot of fashion businesses this year. It was trading from a little less space this time too (-1%), so that also weighed on the figures.
Its comparable store sales were down 1% and one of the aforementioned signs of progress could be seen from the fact that a year ago that figure was negative to the tune of 21%. OK, it’s not yet been able to claw back any of that 21% deficit of this time last year but in the circumstances of an ongoing luxury slump and the company’s own turnaround drive, that 1% fall isn’t bad. And analysts had been expecting a fall of around 3% so that was more good news.
Most importantly though, comparable store sales in two of its key regions tipped into positive territory. In EMEIA, they were up 1% and in the all-important Americas market they rose 4%. Admittedly Asia in general remains an issue for the brand and Greater China comp sales were down 5% while Asia-Pacific fell 4%.
EMEIA had been boosted by local spend offsetting declines from tourists; the Americas was supported by new customer growth; the Greater China figure included a drop of 4% from Mainland China; and the Asia Pacific drop came as it saw a challenging performance in Japan, partially offset by growth in South Korea.
What it did right
In Q1, the company had taken various actions to boost its performance, “resulting in comparable retail sales improvement across all regions relative to the previous quarter. This was supported by stronger brand desirability, outperformance in outerwear and scarves and improved conversion”.
The company has issued a a series of distinctive monthly campaigns such as High Summer, Highgrove, and Festival, “each celebrating British summertime traditions while appealing to different customer archetypes”.
It rebalanced the autumn 25 collection (its first under the Burberry Forward era), “attracting a broad range of luxury customers, focused on fewer, bigger ideas, hero-ing recognisable brand codes”.
Visual merchandising was also enhanced in stores with fixtures to improve product densities. And its scarf bar pilot is outperforming the fleet with 200 targeted by year end.
It saw online momentum continuing for the third consecutive quarter, driven by a “stronger product mix, universal styling and storytelling”.
And its organisational changes are “fostering greater collaboration and agility”. Its cost efficiency programme is on track to deliver £80 million in annualised savings by FY26.
CEO Joshua Schulman understandably chose to focus on the positives and said: “Over the past year, we have moved from stabilising the business to driving Burberry Forward with confidence. The improvement in our first-quarter comparable sales, strength in our core categories, and uptick in brand desirability gives us conviction in the path ahead.”
Of course, it’s the future that counts and he added that the autumn 2025 collection “is being well received by a broad range of luxury customers as it arrives in stores. Although the external environment remains challenging and we are still in the early stages of our transformation, we are encouraged by the initial progress we are starting to see”.
As for the FY26 outlook, Schulman emphasised that as well as it still being early in its turnaround drive, the macroeconomic environment “remains uncertain”. Without giving any concrete figures, he said: “Our focus this year is to build on the early progress we have made in reigniting brand desire, as a key requisite to growing the top-line. In the first half we are continuing to prioritise investment and expect to see the impact of our initiatives build as the year progresses. We will deliver margin improvement with a continued focus on simplification, productivity and cash flow. We remain confident that we are positioning the business for a return to sustainable, profitable growth.”
Analyst view
The general view of all this from analysts is that the business is going in the right direction but they’re aware that there’s still much to do and the market remains tough.
Nick Sherrard, MD of innovation expert network Label Sessions, said: “The leadership team at Burberry has done so much right. In fact, in the year since Josh Schulman took over as CEO it has repositioned the brand in a way that shows real vision, and is hugely admired inside and outside the industry. There are tentative signs of why in today’s update.
“The work Burberry has done over leaves it well placed to eat into its competitors’ market share. Recent brand activations in Ibiza, Glastonbury, and Highgrove show a brand… clear on its strategy. Execute on that and this could be a classic case study of transformation.
“All of that said, 2025 is not a great time to run a luxury brand. The ad campaign reads ‘it’s always Burberry weather’ but in financial terms, at least, there are limits to how fast you can drive revenue recovery in economic conditions like these – particularly in China and the wider Asia Pacific region.”
Politics8 years ago