Archive · 17 Sep 2026
Why Western Designers Borrow Indian Craft Without Crediting Artisans
Some designers in the West use ideas from Indian crafts.
The article says being inspired by these crafts is not automatically wrong.
The problem comes when brands use the designs but do not say where they came from.
Zardozi, mukaish and Kolhapuri chappals have particular histories and communities behind them.
They are not just general decorations or shoes.
Many artisans still depend on making these crafts to earn a living.
Some of the crafts also have official Geographical Indication status.
The article says giving credit helps preserve the story and identity of the people who make them.
The article argues that Western designers are genuinely drawn to Indian craft traditions.
It says the main concern is not inspiration, but using traditional designs without naming their origins.
Zardozi, mukaish and Kolhapuri chappals are linked to specific towns, artisan families and long histories.
Some of these crafts have official Geographical Indication status, according to the article.
Describing them only as “embellishments” or “leather sandals” can erase the communities that still depend on them for income.
- Who
- Western designers and brands, along with Indian artisans and craft communities.
- What
- The article questions why Indian craft traditions are borrowed without crediting their makers or origins.
- When
- Not specified.
- Where
- The issue concerns Indian craft traditions and their use by Western designers.
- Why
- The article argues that omitting the names and histories of these crafts erases the communities that depend on them.
Credit and Cultural Recognition
Design Inspiration and Adaptation
Using Indian craft traditions
Credit and Cultural Recognition
Critics argue that brands should name the specific Indian crafts, places and artisan communities whose work they use.
Design Inspiration and Adaptation
The article acknowledges that designers are genuinely attracted to and inspired by Indian craft techniques and aesthetics.
How the work is described
Credit and Cultural Recognition
Calling traditional work merely “embellishments” or “leather sandals” can remove its cultural history and identity.
Design Inspiration and Adaptation
Brands may describe products in general commercial terms, but the article argues that this does not adequately acknowledge their origins.
- Crafts mentioned
- Zardozi, mukaish and Kolhapuri chappals
- Central criticism
- Brands may use the appearance of Indian crafts without identifying their origins.
- Craft significance
- The crafts are tied to specific towns, artisan families and centuries of history.
- Legal recognition
- Some of the crafts have official Geographical Indication status.
- Economic concern
- Artisan communities still depend on these crafts for a living.
- Article’s distinction
- It separates creative inspiration from the failure to give credit.