The latest case (in a very long list) is that of Prada, dubbed the ‘sandal scandal’ by the media: a pair of men’s sandals reminiscent of Indian chappals. The line between inspiration and cultural appropriation remains very thin, but how far can it go?
by Massimiliano Viti
Fashion (still) has a problem called cultural appropriation. For decades now, every so often, some brand falls into the trap (unwittingly?), drawing too obvious inspiration from the customs, styles and codes of minority or historically oppressed cultures, without recognising their significance or without the consent of the communities of origin.
Music, for example
The issue often resurfaces in music, too. Elvis Presley, to give just one example, is still at the centre of an unresolved debate because he achieved fame thanks to a repertoire heavily influenced by African-American music. It is a very short step from Elvis to the present day. In the summer of 2022, a concert by the Bernese band Lauwarm was interrupted by complaints from part of the audience who did not like seeing white musicians with Rasta hairstyles playing reggae music on stage. This sparked a media storm that also overwhelmed the band, forcing them to disband a few days ago. In fashion, it works differently. But it still happens.
Fashion and cultural appropriation
In fashion, apologies are often enough. One of the latest cases of cultural appropriation involved the Prada brand, which, during the last Milan Fashion Week, presented a pair of men’s sandals reminiscent of Indian chappals in its Spring/Summer 2026 collection, sparking a reaction from the Maharashtra authorities. The media labelled the controversy the ‘sandal scandal‘. Following the protests, Prada admitted that the design was inspired by the Kolhapuri Chappal and stated its intention to ‘engage in dialogue’ with local artisan communities. The same brand faced the same accusation at the end of 2018. The Pradamalia accessory line was reminiscent of blackface.
“I increasingly think that anything you do today can be offensive,” said Miuccia Prada. “Sometimes generosity may be lacking, but on the other hand, how can we know all cultures? First, there were protests from China, then the Sikhs, then the Mexicans, then the African Americans. But how can you know the details of every single culture so well when there can be a hundred different cultures in every country? People want respect because now we talk about cultural appropriation, but this is the foundation of fashion, just as it has always been the foundation of art, of everything.”
Cultural appropriation: where are we now?
Prada wants us to understand how blurred the line between inspiration and cultural appropriation is, especially in the field of art and creativity. In fact, in fashion, it is not so difficult to find brands accused of doing business by exploiting the traditions and cultures of marginalised communities. Especially today, with the unforgiving buzz of social media.
Reduced to caricatures
British Vogue featured the perspective of Christian Allaire, an indigenous woman who grew up as an Ojibwe on the Nipissing First Nation reserve in northern Ontario. “I have rarely seen the beauty of our people and their styles authentically reflected in the fashion world; too often, we have been reduced to caricatures,” denounces Allaire, who has decided to collect fashion products that feature various elements of cultural appropriation. “Rather than simply drawing inspiration, designers – often of white or Eurocentric origin – have long drawn on minority groups, adopting their underrepresented artefacts or techniques and then passing them off as their own. This is something that can be observed at least since the 18th century with the chinoiserie movement, when European designers became fascinated by the patterns found in traditional Chinese clothing.”
Getting around the obstacle
In some cases, designers have avoided accusations. “I like to work in a way that recognises the quality and skill that exist in other parts of the world,” said Maria Grazia Chiuri, who collaborated with Dior first with Karishma Swali, director of the Chanakya School of Craft in Mumbai, and then with Mexican artisans. This is also the case with Gabriela Hearst, who commissioned Diné artist Naiomi Glasses to create elegant trench coats and tops with Native American weavers. In short, if you want to, you can not only avoid being accused of cultural appropriation, but also receive praise for your socially inclusive projects.
Defining concepts and objectives
Gabriella Lojacono, from the Department of Management and Technology at Bocconi University in Milan, studied the issue and then published the paper ‘The fine line between localisation and cultural appropriation in personal luxury goods: An exploratory study’. The moral of the story is that to avoid being accused of cultural appropriation, a brand must ‘precisely define the concept and objective of the creation when it is based on a culture other than its own. Brands must ask themselves why they use cultural elements they are unfamiliar with in their collections, ensuring that their reasons are in line with the meaning and value that the culture of origin attributes to those elements.
Brands must also avoid copying or imitating a technique too closely, as this would inevitably turn into a form of plagiarism. She provided three key recommendations. First: a deep understanding of the cultures from which they wish to draw inspiration. Second: explicitly cite the source of inspiration. Third: pay close attention to respect, avoiding any form of stereotyping or derision. It does not seem so difficult for such large and organised brands. In the meantime, however, we await the next case.
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