India, Sept. 14 -- Where does design inspiration end and acknowledgement begin? American fashion brand Ralph Lauren has found itself at the centre of that debate once more over a beaded dress from its Spring/Summer 2027 show at New York Fashion Week. The Indian design community and social media users have noted how zardozi and aari-looking embroidery patch on the dress was credited simply as "hand-applied embellishments". The brand was earlier called out for describing jhumka-like earrings as "vintage accessories" and a Rs.44,800 Bandhani-inspired skirt listed as a "print cotton wrap".

Lucknow-based designer Prakhar Rao Singh Chandel (@chandel.zt) noted on Instagram, "'Bead and metal-thread embroidery' like this has a name where I live. ...