Luxury brand Prada has done it again and this time gives their new “statement” seriously Indian railways vibes. Yes, you heard right. Just weeks after raising the eyebrows with their £ 90k, taking on Kolhapuri Chappals, Prada is back, this time with a men’s fabric bag that many Indians swear looks like the floor of a second class sleeping trainer.And the internet? Oh, it’s a field day.
Let’s paint the image: a “minimalist” fabric bag with a metallic finish, a little hot stamped leather details, a special compartment for your designer water bottle (because hydration, but makes it bougie) and a dust bag. All for that not so the humor price of 2.73 lakh. That’s right, two Lakh seventy -three thousand rupees, to carry something that looks like it was born in an Indian railway car.Netizens did not need a second look. The comparison was immediate, brutal and funny. A user tweeted, “We want credits #mumbailocals,” while another roasted brand with, “Prada is like the ex who just can’t stop pursuing India.” Ouch.Memes, comments and punchlines were poured faster than Chai on a Shatabdi platform. Some went philosophical “Prada is actually a social experiment.” Others did not hold back, “It’s not a comparison. It’s a photocopy of Indian train floor.”Let’s be honest, the similarity is unpleasant. The pattern on Toten looks exactly like the aluminum sheet floor as seen in bogies over Indian trains. The type where you accidentally release your Samosa and are still considering picking it up. And here it is now, reincarnated as a five -digit fashion accessory.But here is the kicker, this is not even the first time Prada has flirted with Indian aesthetics and went straight into controversy. Rinse back to June this year, when the brand sent male models that stretched down on a Milan track in what was clearly Kolhapuri chappals, paired with windy shirts and raffia hats and tried hard to look like the cool cousin who just discovered Goa.Then Desi was fashionista’s lively. “Cultural grant!” They screamed. Prada only responded after the backlash became high enough to echo over continents and eventually credited the traditional Indian design. So … points to eventually admit it?
Now with the Tote drama, the Indians are demolished between rolling their eyes and laughing loudly. On the one hand, there are some serious side eyes on the fashion world’s obsession with “exotic India”, especially when there is zero context or credit. On the other hand, many people only enjoy the moment. After all, how often trends a train floor globally?Some people even hit new ideas: “Next up: Luxury Lungis and Louis Vuitton Water Filters?” Hi, you never know. At this point, nothing is off the track.At the end of the day, love it or hate it, Prada seems to know exactly how to keep the internet buzzing. Whether it is unintentional comedy or subtle genius marketing, one thing is clear, the brand has managed to get a country with 1.4 billion people to watch a designer -tote and say: “Wait … Isn’t it from 9:15 to Borivali?”
