Karl Lagerfeld’s Fingerless Gloves to Go under Hammer

Three small embroidered cushions for the cat Choupette and leather gloves are displayed before the auction of late fashion designer Karl Lagerfeld?s Collection by Sotheby's auction house in Monte-Carlo, Monaco, November 30, 2021. (Reuters)
Three small embroidered cushions for the cat Choupette and leather gloves are displayed before the auction of late fashion designer Karl Lagerfeld?s Collection by Sotheby's auction house in Monte-Carlo, Monaco, November 30, 2021. (Reuters)
TT
20

Karl Lagerfeld’s Fingerless Gloves to Go under Hammer

Three small embroidered cushions for the cat Choupette and leather gloves are displayed before the auction of late fashion designer Karl Lagerfeld?s Collection by Sotheby's auction house in Monte-Carlo, Monaco, November 30, 2021. (Reuters)
Three small embroidered cushions for the cat Choupette and leather gloves are displayed before the auction of late fashion designer Karl Lagerfeld?s Collection by Sotheby's auction house in Monte-Carlo, Monaco, November 30, 2021. (Reuters)

Personal belongings of the late designer Karl Lagerfeld, including his trademark fingerless leather gloves and the cushions his cat Choupette sat on, are to go on sale in a series of auctions that begin in Monaco this week.

Lagerfeld, who died in 2019, was an icon of the fashion industry, celebrated as much for his distinctive personal style of gloves, sunglasses and ponytail as he was for the fashion he designed for Chanel and other houses.

The collection of belongings, being auctioned by Sotheby's, has items from his personal wardrobe and the furniture, accessories and art which decorated his many homes.

Bids are also invited for a model of Choupette with an estimated price of 5,000 euros ($5,690) to 7,000 euros, and a figurine of Lagerfeld made out of PVC, metal and rhinestones, with a price estimate of 200-300 euros.

Elaborate trunks and suitcases that Lagerfeld took with him when he traveled, three Rolls-Royce cars and a pair of chrome-plated dumbbells owned by the famously body-conscious designer, are also included in the sale.

"This collection is emblematic of Karl Lagerfeld's taste," Pierre Mothes, vice president of Sotheby's in France, told Reuters at a preview of the collection.

"It gives a sense of his aesthetic choices, his personality, the man he was, and the private life that was hidden behind the facade we all know, that of a great designer."

After Monaco on Dec. 3-5, the sale moves to Paris later in December, then on to Cologne early next year.



Sandal Scandal: Prada Credits New Design's Indian Legacy

Customers shop for 'Kolhapuri' sandals, an Indian ethnic footwear, at a store in New Delhi, India, June 27, 2025. REUTERS/Adnan Abidi
Customers shop for 'Kolhapuri' sandals, an Indian ethnic footwear, at a store in New Delhi, India, June 27, 2025. REUTERS/Adnan Abidi
TT
20

Sandal Scandal: Prada Credits New Design's Indian Legacy

Customers shop for 'Kolhapuri' sandals, an Indian ethnic footwear, at a store in New Delhi, India, June 27, 2025. REUTERS/Adnan Abidi
Customers shop for 'Kolhapuri' sandals, an Indian ethnic footwear, at a store in New Delhi, India, June 27, 2025. REUTERS/Adnan Abidi

Luxury fashion powerhouse Prada has acknowledged the ancient Indian roots of its new sandal design after the debut of the open-toe footwear sparked a furor among Indian artisans and politicians thousands of miles from the catwalk in Italy.

Images from Prada's fashion show in Milan last weekend showed models wearing leather sandals with a braided design that resembled handmade Kolhapuri slippers with designs dating back to the 12th century.

A wave of criticism in the media and from lawmakers followed over the Italian brand's lack of public acknowledgement of the Indian sandal design, which is named after a city in the western state of Maharashtra.

Lorenzo Bertelli, son of Prada's owners, responded to the sandal scandal in a letter to a trade group on Friday recognizing their Indian heritage.

"We acknowledge that the sandals... are inspired by traditional Indian handcrafted footwear, with a centuries-old heritage," Bertelli, Prada's head of corporate social responsibility, wrote in the letter to the Maharashtra Chamber of Commerce, seen by Reuters.

The sandals are at an early stage of design and it is not certain they will be commercialized, but Prada is open to a "dialogue for meaningful exchange with local Indian artisans" and will arrange follow-up meetings, he wrote.

A Prada spokesperson issued a statement acknowledging the sandal's inspiration from India, adding the company has "always celebrated craftsmanship, heritage and design traditions".

Prada products are beyond the reach of most Indians. Its men's leather sandals retail for $844 and up, while the Kolhapuri slippers, sold in Indian shops and street markets, start at about $12.

India's luxury market is small but growing fast, with rising numbers of rich people buying Louis Vuitton bags, Lamborghini cars, luxury homes and watches.

Conversely, Indian culture and crafts are increasingly finding their way into global brand designs. High-end jeweler Bulgari offers a $16,000 Mangalsutra necklace inspired by a chain traditionally worn by married women.

Bertelli's homage to Indian design was sent in a response to a complaint from the head of the trade group that represents 3,000 Kolhapuri sandal artisans, as the online uproar gathered momentum.

"From the dusty lanes of Kolhapur to the glitzy runways of Milan... will the world finally give credit where it's due?" India's DNA News posted on X.

Sambhaji Chhatrapati from the Kolhapur Royal family told Reuters by phone he was upset that craftsmen had not been acknowledged for the "history and heritage of 150 years."

Kolhapur-based businessman Dileep More, however, said images of the Prada sandal were bringing cheer to some artisans as they show their traditional product going global.

"They are happy that someone is recognising their work," he said.