News in Frames | Kolhapuri chappals walk on chic runways

Recently, Kolhapuri chappals made global headlines when Italian luxurious model Prada launched a pair of sandals that intently resembled the normal Kolhapuri design — however priced them at a number of hundred {dollars}. This sparked a controversy, with many labelling it cultural appropriation and criticising the model for the shortage of acknowledgement of the artisans or the unique craft. Whereas Prada didn’t straight declare inspiration from Kolhapuris, the visible similarity was sufficient to reignite discussions round mental property rights, artisan recognition, and the significance of preserving conventional crafts.

Kolhapuri chappals are a symbol of India’s rich artisanal heritage, with a historical past relationship again over 800 years. Originating from the city of Kolhapur in Maharashtra, these handcrafted leather-based sandals have been historically worn by Chhatrapati Shahu Maharaj. Customers admire the footwear for its sturdiness, consolation, and distinct aesthetic.

What makes the footwear actually distinctive is the intricate craftsmanship that’s behind every pair. These chappals are made fully by hand — from slicing the leather-based to shaping the only real and weaving the long-lasting T-strap. Each sew, punch, and braid is completed manually by expert artisans, lots of whom work out of small family-run properties relatively than large-scale factories. This decentralised, home-based manufacturing mannequin has been handed down generations, preserving the cottage trade alive in small cities and villages throughout Maharashtra and Karnataka.

One other less-known however essential facet of Kolhapuri chappals is their eco-friendly manufacturing. The leather-based used undergoes vegetable tanning, a standard technique that makes use of pure tannins derived from tree bark, leaves, and different plant sources. The method, although longer and extra labour-intensive, provides to the distinctive character of each chappal — no two items of leather-based are ever fairly the identical.

Mockingly, the Prada controversy served as a silver lining — it brought renewed attention to Kolhapuri chappals on the worldwide stage. A number of Indian designers and advocates used the second to focus on the centuries-old craft, emphasising the necessity to help native artisans.

In an period of quick trend, Kolhapuri chappals stand as a proud image of gradual, sustainable craftsmanship — made with care, by hand, and with historical past in each step.

Photograph:
Emmanual Yogini

First step: Items of vegetable-tanned leather-based is laid out to dry beneath the solar on a terrace on Kolhapur.

Photograph:
Emmanual Yogini

Bootstrapping custom: Leather-based ‘ears’ used to connect the T-strap are left to dry at a workshop.

Photograph:
Emmanual Yogini

Crafting every step: Instruments used to make Kolhapuri chappals are saved in exact order for the comfort of the artisans.

Photograph:
Emmanual Yogini

Shaping the only real: Absorbed in his work, a craftsman cuts the correct form for a chappal.

Photograph:
Emmanual Yogini

On the anvil: The Kolhapuri chappals are handcrafted in modest workshops.

Photograph:
Emmanual Yogini

A sew in time: At her house workshop, an artisan stitches the only real of the chappal.

Photograph:
Emmanual Yogini

Ending touches: Inside Kolhapur’s Chappal market, an artisan polishes a pair of Kolhapuris, giving the handmade leather-based its sheen.

Photograph:
Emmanual Yogini

Royal replicas: Shubam Satpute, proprietor of Igna Leathers, showcases a pair of royal Kolhapuris, replicas of the footwear as soon as worn by King Shahu Maharaj, who is taken into account a visionary ruler.

Photograph:
Emmanual Yogini

Timeless show: Kolhapuri chappals on show at Rashtriya Leather-based Works, one of many oldest outlets out there. The cottage trade has acquired a lift with the worldwide consideration after trend model Prada praised the craftsmanship behind the normal footwear.