Luxury brand Prada has done it again and this time, their new “statement piece” is giving off serious Indian Railways vibes. Yes, you heard that right. Just weeks after raising eyebrows with its ₹90K take on Kolhapuri chappals, Prada is back, this time with a men’s tote bag that many Indians swear looks like the flooring of a second-class sleeper coach.And the internet? Oh, it’s having a field day.
Let’s paint the picture: a “minimalist” tote bag with a metallic finish, some hot-stamped leather detailing, a special compartment for your designer water bottle (because hydration, but make it bougie), and a dust bag. All for the not-so-humble price of ₹2.73 lakh. That’s right, two lakh seventy-three thousand rupees, to carry something that looks like it was born inside an Indian railway carriage.Netizens didn’t need a second glance. The comparison was instant, brutal, and hilarious. One user tweeted, “We want credits #mumbailocals,” while another roasted the brand with, “Prada is like that ex who just can’t stop stalking India.” Ouch.Memes, comments, and punchlines poured in faster than chai on a Shatabdi platform. Some went philosophical “Prada is actually a social experiment.” Others didn’t hold back, “That’s not a comparison. That’s a photocopy of Indian train floors.”Let’s be honest, the resemblance is uncanny. The pattern on the tote looks exactly like the aluminium sheet flooring seen in bogies across Indian trains. The kind where you accidentally drop your samosa and still consider picking it up. And here it is now, reincarnated as a five-figure fashion accessory.But here’s the kicker, this isn’t even the first time Prada has flirted with Indian aesthetics and walked straight into controversy. Rewind to June this year, when the brand sent male models strutting down a Milan runway in what were clearly Kolhapuri chappals, paired with breezy shirts and raffia hats, trying hard to look like the cool cousin who just discovered Goa.Back then, desi fashionistas were livid. “Cultural appropriation!” they yelled. Prada only responded after the backlash got loud enough to echo across continents, eventually crediting the traditional Indian design. So… points for eventually acknowledging it?
Now with the tote drama, Indians are torn between rolling their eyes and laughing out loud. On one hand, there’s some serious side-eye at the fashion world’s obsession with “exotic India” especially when there’s zero context or credit. On the other hand, many are just enjoying the moment. After all, how often does a train floor trend globally?Some folks are even pitching new ideas: “Next up: luxury lungis and Louis Vuitton water filters?” Hey, you never know. At this point, nothing is off the runway.At the end of the day, love it or hate it, Prada seems to know exactly how to keep the internet buzzing. Whether it’s unintentional comedy or subtle genius marketing, one thing’s clear, the brand has managed to get a country of 1.4 billion people to look at a designer tote and say, “Wait… isn’t that from the 9:15 to Borivali?”
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