Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], September 17 (ANI): Italian luxury brand Fendi’s new Baguette multicolour re-edition bag featuring mirrors, bright embroidery and thousands of beads has sparked a debate online over the use of Indian traditional craftsmanship by global luxury brands without visible credit to the artisans or heritage associated with it.
The design has drawn criticism from netizens and prominent personalities, who have accused the Italian luxury brand of cultural appropriation.
Harsh Goenka, chairman of RPG Enterprises, took to X to blame the brand for "colonising" Indian crafts.
"After the Prada Kolhapuri chappal scandal, here comes the Fendi "Navratri" bag. Charging ₹8.3 Lakhs for a design that looks exactly like a ₹500 bag available in the streets of Gujarat. And zero credit to Indian artisans. When will luxury brands stop colonising our crafts?" he wrote.
https://x.com/hvgoenka/status/2099478025230528817?s=20
However, the brand has not called it a 'Navratri' bag and given credit to ‘Chanakya artisans’ in the post on X.
Biocon founder Kiran Mazumdar Shaw responded to his post and wrote, “This is a case of cultural appropriation & not in good taste. Repackaging India’s traditional craft as luxury, without credit to the artisans who created and preserved it, undermines our authentic talent and heritage. Indian craftsmanship deserves recognition, not imitation.”
https://x.com/kiranshaw/status/2099841418307289109?s=20
The bag, launched on Fendi's website, features 475 mirrors, bright embroidery and 39,500 beads scattered across its surface, with 138 hours of craftsmanship involved in its making, as per the information shared on Fendi's website.
The bag is listed on Fendi's website as 'Baguette 26424: Multicolour Re Edition bag with embroidery and mirrors.' While similar-looking mirror-work items are commonly available in Indian markets at significantly lower prices, the Fendi bag is being sold online for around USD 10,000 (over Rs 9 lakh).
Mirror work, also known as shisha embroidery, is a centuries-old craft rooted in Rajasthan and Gujarat. Indian textiles and craftsmanship have also long featured in Western fashion, with concerns over recognition and credit to traditional artisans continuing to surface.
Fendi's product description highlights the craftsmanship behind the bag. "When craftsmanship becomes design," the caption of the post read.
"Discover how sequins, beads, and mirrors are transformed into unique works of art through the skilled hands of Chanakya artisans," it added.
https://x.com/Fendi/status/2045834797722091680?s=20
Many others also criticised the band online, with one user writing, “Nobody will give more than 500 rupees to this bag, if the Fendi logo is not there”
Another added, “Why worry ? No sensible person ever buys it.” (ANI)
Fendi's 9 lakh 'Navratri-style' bag faces online criticism over lack of "credit" to Indian artisans
