Another luxury brand is in controversy for cultural theft. Italian luxury brand Fendi is facing backlash online after releasing a multicolored handbag priced at roughly over Rs 9 lakh.
The bag — listed on the brand’s official website as the “multicolor embroidered bag with mirror work” — is covered in dense, colourful embroidery and mirror detailing, closely resembling the cloth bags sold for under Rs 500 in local Indian markets. It couldnt stay under cover for long time after social media users and well-known public figures, including biotech entrepreneur Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw and industrialist Harsh Goenka, called for stark similarities with India’s traditional handcrafted bags. These embroidered, mirror-worked bags are a familiar sight during Navratri, especially in Gujarat and Rajasthan, where artisans have made them for generations.
Speaking against the product, Biocon executive chairperson Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw on X said, “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.”
Her remarks came on the post originally shared by Harsh Goenka, who wrote, “After the Prada Kolhapuri chappal scandal, here comes the Fendi ‘Navratri’ bag.”
According to sources, the bag is a part of a new collection launched by, but it is technically a remake. The specific handbag in Fendi is the Fendi Baguette 26424, multicolor rendition, debuted as a new release for the fall/winter 2026 collection.
The launch has sparked massive debate on social media, with one user saying, “If this type of artwork (use of colourful threads, beads, tiny mirrors, etc.) is registered as a patented Indian art form, there should be provision in Indian law to book these companies under Plagiarism!!”
Another, sharing his opinion, said, “when India grows a spine and goes after these luxury brands like China does. Cut their access to India, and if they still do it, hit them by encouraging local companies to copy their stuff and sell in India. See how they not just stop copying Indian designs but promote India internationally.”
The incident comes after the major fashion house faced similar backlash. Italian brand Prada drew sharp criticism for selling footwear identical to the traditional Indian Kolhapuri chappals at steep prices, again without crediting the craft’s regional origin.