In another purported case of cultural appropriation by an international high-end fashion brand, Ralph Lauren has found itself in the line of fire after its rebranding of the Indian bandhani-print skirt as a "print cotton wrap skirt'.
Bandhani-printed cotton skirts, which on average cost less than Rs 500 in the Indian retail or online market, is being sold at no less than Rs 44,800 on the Ralph Lauren website.
The brand is now facing heavy backlash on its borrowing of the traditional Indian tie and dye art of Bandhani, with some claiming that the skirt is not even made of real Bandhani tie-dyed fabric and is just printed.
Another user criticised Ralph Lauren in a post on X and said, "‘This is sacrilege!' Why, Ralph Lauren, why?' Ralph Lauren, you have no shame! You all just rip off Indian fashion designs and rename them with cheap fake material with an outrageous price of $375!".
The textile art of Bandhani or Bandhej dates back almost 5,000 years, originating from the culture-rich bordering lands of Rajasthan and Gujarat.
The word 'bandh' is derived from sanskrit and means 'to tie', the process of creating bandhani fabrics such as skirts and sarees typically involves dyeing fabric tied tightly with thread at thousands of tiny points to create intricate, vibrant patterns.
For reference, even a pure Bandhani cotton skirt can be bought for under Rs 10,000 in India, although certain variants of the art may be priced sharply higher.
Nonetheless, this is not the first time that Ralph Lauren has been subjected to criticism for allegedly appropriating Indian fashion without giving due credit.
Lauren's Fall 2026 women's collection at the Paris Fashion Week turned heads in India as well — for the wrong reasons. The American brand had used an Indian jewellery staple 'jhumka' (big dangling earrings) in their collection without attributing proper credit to the country or its culture.
In other infamous instances of international brands anglicising Indian fashion articles, renowned Italian luxury fashion brand Prada had faced heat for showcasing sandals that had an open-toe braided pattern that closely resembled the traditional Kolhapuri sandals made in Maharashtra and Karnataka.
Initially, Prada had described the sandals as "leather footwear" but failed to mention its Indian origins, triggering a row of allegations of cultural appropriation in India.
After heavy backlash, however, it corrected its course by announcing the launch of limited-edition Kolhapuri, inspired by and made in the Indian states of Maharashtra and Karnataka. As part of the deal, the brand said that it will manufacture around 2,000 pairs of sandals in India.
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