Borrowed, Branded, and Sold Back

Prada’s promised collaboration with Kolhapuri artisans reads like progress — until you remember it only happened after the brand sent an almost-identical sandal down the Milan runway, priced it at over $800, and “forgot” to credit the people who’ve made the design for centuries. That’s the point: cultural appropriation in fashion isn’t a one-off scandal, it’s a repeatable script — extract, mark up, rebrand as “inspired”, apologise only when the backlash becomes expensive. And the harm isn’t theoretical. It’s economic displacement, cultural erasure, and a hierarchy where marginalised communities are punished for what luxury sells as “editorial”. Ethical exchange isn’t complicated: collaborate from the start, credit loudly, share profits, and shift power — because respect isn’t radical. It’s the bare minimum.