New Delhi: The safety pin, that unassuming everyday necessity, has undergone an uber luxe makeover. At least in terms of its pricing.
Italian luxury fashion brand Prada has pegged the humble metal fastener at a whopping USD 775, or almost Rs 69,000. The designer spin for the brass pin, which will double up as a brooch, is its golden sheen and a crochet detail. It has also quickly become the latest topic of conversation online and elsewhere in the crocheting community, being met with many a raised eyebrow and gasps of disbelief.
The latest Prada offering particularly irked the crocheter community, which found it unreasonable and questioned the choices of those who bought it.
Rajani Sharma, a Ghaziabad-based crocheter, said it was another way of big brands fleecing people in the name of luxury and wouldn’t take more than two minutes to make.
“Anybody with a beginner-level understanding of crochet can make this,” Sharma told PTI.
Starting at the loop of the pin, one can make a row of single crochet stitches in one or more colours to make the “Prada safety pin”. To make it look fancy, you can attach a charm too, she added.
Sharma’s sentiment was echoed by crocheters on social media who posted Instagram Reels and uploaded their versions of the safety pin, some even making it in a little over a minute.
While Indians on the internet called it “andhadhun lootmaar” (reckless robbery) and compared it to their mothers’ personal collection, social media accounts from across the world got together to collectively laugh at the absurdity of the safety pin.
One Sapna Madan wrote on X, “Andhadhun Lootmaar by Prada Their latest ‘luxury’ item is a safety pin priced at $775 (68,758).” Another user, Himanshu Tripathi, said, “I, as a 90’s kid, wore it daily on belts, tie,s & broken hopes. Maa’s saree pallu already has a limited edition collection.”
Another user, Sejal, quipped, “I have a dozen bought at 50 each – planning to sell with a 135,900% ROI. Who wants Stock markets when you have this option!”
Prada has put up the safety pin brooch in three colours: light blue, pink and orange, and carries a small charm with the brand’s logo.
While one person on Instagram said, “Prada may have lost the plot. Who buys thi?s”, another wrote “I thought I had seen everything until I saw this!”
This is not the first time the fashion brand has found itself creating a splash for entirely unintended reasons.
In June this year, Prada was caught in a controversy over featuring Kolhapur chappals in the men’s 2026 fashion show that were priced at.
The brand was criticised for stealing the credit and heritage of Indian artisans who have practised the craft for centuries.
“We acknowledge that the sandals featured in the recent Prada Men’s 2026 Fashion Show are inspired by traditional Indian handcrafted footwear, with a centuries-old heritage. We deeply recognise the cultural significance of such Indian craftsmanship,” a representative from Prada had said.
