Luxurious style model Prada not too long ago made headlines for charging an exorbitant quantity for an adjunct as fundamental as a security pin. Noting the unusually hefty value, a consumer on Instagram expressed her disappointment, saying, “Let’s study the most recent product from Prada. It’s a security pin brooch for USD 775. I’ll as soon as once more ask wealthy folks. What’s it that you’re doing along with your cash? As a result of if you happen to can’t consider something, then let me guarantee you the remainder of us can. In all its seriousness, I don’t know whether or not to snigger or cry, which is commonly my response to issues from Prada.“
Being attentive to the viral declare, indianexpress.com checked out Prada’s official web site and right here’s what we discovered:
1) A gold-colour metallic brooch would value you a minimum of 380 EUR (roughly INR 38,662.72). To find out if it had something distinctive contributing to its excessive value, we checked its product particulars part, which solely specifies, “Minimalist strains outline this metallic brooch with modern type embellished with the engraved lettering emblem.”
A poplin and metallic flower brooch would value you near INR 37,000 (Photograph: Prada web site)
And the unimaginably excessive pricing doesn’t finish there.
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2) A Radzimir and metallic flower brooch, together with a poplin and metallic flower brooch, would additionally value you near INR 37,000, i.e. 360 EUR
The price of a Radzimir and metallic flower brooch is INR 37,000, i.e. 360 EUR. (Photograph: Prada web site)
Not the primary time
Whereas the security pin pricing has sparked contemporary debate over the worth of “luxurious minimalism,” this isn’t the primary time Prada has drawn criticism for its pricing and cultural insensitivity. Earlier this 12 months, the Italian style home got here beneath fireplace for promoting a pair of sandals carefully resembling India’s conventional Kolhapuri chappals — priced at round USD 785 (roughly INR 1.2 lakh). What caught consideration wasn’t simply the jaw-dropping price ticket, however the lack of any reference to their Indian origin. The product, marketed as “Leather-based sandals,” bore a hanging resemblance to the centuries-old handcrafted footwear made in Maharashtra.
Social media customers and Indian designers rapidly referred to as out Prada for cultural appropriation — profiting off a design rooted in Indian craftsmanship whereas erasing its origins. The backlash was swift and intense, sparking world discussions about how luxurious manufacturers typically repackage conventional and artisanal designs beneath their very own labels with out crediting the communities behind them.
Following the criticism, Prada acknowledged the design’s resemblance to India’s Kolhapuri heritage. The transfer, though delicate, was seen as a vital step towards recognising the craftsmanship that has lengthy impressed luxurious style.
