New Delhi, July 16 -- A team from Prada recently visited Kolhapur. The Italian fashion brand wanted to understand the history and craftsmanship of the famous Kolhapuri chappals. They met with local artisans and shopkeepers to learn how the traditional leather slippers were made.

One shopkeeper shared that the Prada team had explored the biggest market in Kolhapur. They were especially interested in a leather bag used by conductors and petrol pump workers to store cash.

"They had come to see authentic leather bags and liked our Kolhapur, especially the Kapashi Kolhapuri chappal," One shopkeeper told ANI.

Another vendor mentioned that the team had come to inspect manufacturing units. They observed the technical details of how these chapp...