US fashion designer Willy Chavarria has said he regrets that sandals he made with Adidas copied a traditional design from Oaxaca in southern Mexico.“I deeply regret that this design has appropriated the name and was not developed in direct and meaningful partnership with the Oaxacan community,” Chavarria told AFP. Chavarria further admitted the sandals failed to show the respect and cooperation owed to the community of Villa Hidalgo Yalalag, where the original design is believed to have originated. Chavarria is of Mexican heritage.Authorities in Oaxaca, Mexico, had complained that the “Oaxaca slip-on” sandals were a reworked version of the huarache, a style made only in that region, which has one of Mexico’s largest indigenous populations. On Friday, Mexico’s government said it would seek compensation from Adidas, after which Mexico’s president Claudia Sheinbaum said Adidas had agreed to meet Oaxaca officials. She said the design was “collective intellectual property” and that the heritage law must be followed.The shoe features thin braided leather straps in a style tied to the cultural heritage of Zapotec Indigenous communities in Oaxaca, particularly in Villa Hidalgo de Yalalag. While traditional huaraches use flat leather soles, Adidas’ version incorporates a chunky sports shoe sole. The case is the latest in which Mexico has accused big fashion brands of using indigenous designs without permission. Similar disputes have involved Shein, Zara and Carolina Herrera. Handicrafts are a major source of jobs in Mexico, especially in Oaxaca, Jalisco, Michoacán and Guerrero. Last month in India, a public interest case was filed in the Bombay High Court against Italian brand Prada for showing sandals at Milan Fashion Week that looked similar to the traditional Kolhapuri chappal.
