By Sampurna Majumder
Italian fashion giant Prada is back with its new launch, this time with a playful twist on one of India’s most cherished rituals. The brand has launched ‘Infusion de Santal Chai Eau De Parfum’, a unisex ‘chai’ inspired fragrance.
One of India’s most beloved traditions is a daily cup of chai and this time Prada has drawn fashion designs from a cup of chai and drew it into an inspiration that blends haute elegance with luxury. The fragrance contrasts the scents of spice and warmth, comfort and sensory richness of India’s tea ritual to create an aromatic experience that appeals to both tradition and luxury.
The newly launched fragrance is included in Prada’s Les Infusions line. The perfume blends cardamom fusion with creamy sandalwood, with a spicy notes of chai latte in the higher notes and bottom notes are citrus and cardamom for an earthy, woody and an aromatic touch. The perfume is priced at about $190 (17,000rs) on Prada’s website.
The bottle itself reflects the idea, with a camel Saffiano cup that resembles a cup of tea on top of warm brown glass. With the chai inspired perfume launch, Prada brought back the Kolhapuri chappal controversy in India. Social media quickly caught on after the launch with the audience commenting “Omg i want to try!!! Love the chai”, another added “Every indian product like kolhapuri chappal, paithani, food products and chai is also very great and perfectly useful for the world. Made in India.”
A PIL alleging that Prada had plagiarized Kolhapuri designs in their summer collection was submitted to Bombay High Court in 2025. In response, Prada worked closely with Indian craftspeople to comprehend the history of the renowned shoes. In December, LIDCOM of Maharashtra and LIDKAR of Karnataka signed a Memorandum of Understanding for the Prada Made in India project, which was inspired by Kolhapuri chappals.
Prada has previously drawn inspiration from India, but not without controversy. The brand was previously accused of cultural appropriation after sending models down a Milan runway wearing sandals that were very similar to Kolhapuri chappals.