Didi's chappals get Dior flip-flopped

What Bengal thought yesterday, global high fashion has just thought up today - chappals, calling Didi's anti-haute accessories 'flip-flops', of course. Luxury labels are selling minimalist versions for eye-watering prices and declaring them footwear of the moment. Think £690 for a suede platform pair by Phoebe Philo and £800 for minimalist black leather slippers - sorry, flip-flops - by The Row. The prices have led to eye-roll sprees. But with heatwaves rewriting wardrobes across the West, the 'umble Hawaii could well also have its lux moment. Which, of course, brings us back to Mamata B. And before anyone says it - yes, so what if she isn't 'back'? She's still the undisputed style ambassador of the blue-white rubber slipper. Long before fashion editors rediscovered minimalist dressing, Didi had perfected the art of pairing chappals with Dior confidence. Trends come and go. Style icons don't.

The only thing that's really changed is marketing. Add premium leather, a designer label, and a Paris runway instead of Kolkata streets, and pret-a-Howrah Station porter becomes haute. The last time it had a fashion moment was in the '00s. Back then, it was all about the Havaiana, the Brazilian plastic classic. But here's the thing again: it's not the chappal that's making waves. It's the flip-flop. And, no, it's not just the English word for chappals.