a story from the backwaters of
Kerala to the steps of Met Gala in New York
Met Gala 2022-2023
In the realm of high-profile events, the Met Gala stands as a beacon of glamour, creativity, and style. Each year, the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City transforms into a stage for fashion’s most elite, and at the heart of this opulent affair lies an often overlooked but crucial element—the red carpet. This year, Neytt, a luminary in luxury interior design, joined forces with the visionary architect Tadao Ando to craft a red carpet that not only paid homage to Karl Lagerfeld but also redefined elegance in the most captivating way.
Chaired by the influential Anna Wintour and co-chaired by Penélope Cruz, Michaela Coel, Roger Federer, and Dua Lipa, this year’s Gala paid homage to one of the most enduring careers in contemporary fashion — inspired by the exhibition, “Karl Lagerfeld: A Line of Beauty.” On May 1, 2023, celebrities and luminaries graced the steps of the Met, interpreting the dress code “In honour of Karl” in a myriad of captivating ways.
Hailing from the vibrant cultural tapestry of Kerala, Neytt by Extraweave stands as a testament to the rich heritage of carpeting that has thrived in India’s southernmost state for over a century. Orchestrated by Sivan Santhosh and Nimisha Srinivas, Neytt is not just a brand; it’s a high-fashion narrative woven into every rug and carpet they create. The latest chapter in Neytt’s story unfolds at the Met Gala 2023, where their expertise took centre stage, providing the perfect canvas for the iconic event.
Neytt’s roots in Kerala’s tradition of carpeting run deep, echoing a legacy that spans more than a century. Sivan Santhosh and Nimisha Srinivas have embraced this heritage, infusing it with contemporary design sensibilities to create a brand that seamlessly marries tradition with innovation. Neytt has become synonymous with luxury, crafting rugs and carpets that tell stories of elegance and artistry.
Speaking about their association with the Met Gala, Sivan Santhosh shared insights into the meticulous process that went into creating the bespoke carpet for the iconic event. The Met Gala design team had precise demands, intending to transform the carpet into a canvas for New York’s artists to hand-paint. Sivan Santhosh emphasised the need for a flawless, high-quality foundation, opting for sisal fibers tightly woven to perfection. Neytt’s design team embraced this challenge, ensuring that the carpet not only met but exceeded the stringent requirements set by the Met Gala team.
The lighter colour was one of the challenges the Neytt team faced. “We had to specifically import sisal fibres from Madagascar where the best quality white fibres come from, which are longer and pure in colour.
We manufactured 58 rolls of 4m by 30m,” Santhosh adds. These 58 rolls were then shipped to New York where the design team and installation team with the artists spent almost 70 days hand-painting the lines on the carpet.
As the Met Gala red carpet unfolded, Neytt’s contribution became more than just a floor covering—it became a symbol of artistic collaboration, meticulous manufacturing, and the seamless fusion of tradition and modernity.
Sisal fibres from Madagascar were used for the manufacturing of the carpet
Collaborating with designer Vanessa Meister Varma, they created an exquisite piece of hand-tufted bamboo silk rug under the collection ‘Women Power’
Neytt’s design explorations move beyond the Met Gala and carpet weaving. We collaborated with the Dutch artist Niels Kiené Salventius to create a collection of rugs exhibited at Maison&Objet. Collaborating with designer Vanessa Meister Varma, they created an exquisite piece of hand-tufted bamboo silk rug under the collection Women Power. The collection was a tribute to women supporting and inspiring each other to grow.
Talking about their design journey, Sivan narrates, “From the beginning, what I felt as a brand from Kerala was that a lot of design elements from the south are never showcased anywhere. They are only confined to the south of India and were not out there comparatively. That is one of the reasons why a lot of our collections are inspired by design elements from Kerala and from South India. One collection we did was based on the Nehru Trophy boat race in Kerala. While designing that, we went deep into the design process and actually sat down with the people who participate in the races, trying to understand what matters to them when they roll the boards. They spoke about a lot of synchronisation and rowing, the use of different elements, and the music which plays a big role in the race. These elements became the soul of the collection.”
With artisanal techniques rooted in historic stories of the weaving industry of the Venice of the East, Alappuzha in Kerala, Neytt continues to etch stories into the grains of the fibres marrying the craftsmanship of South India and the materials of East Africa. As they take this amalgamation to international stages, Sivan concludes “One thing I’m really proud about working on the Met Gala carpet is that a lot of people found it inspiring. Some people got in touch with us saying that they are proud of the fact that this carpet was manufactured in Kerala, India. A lot of our employees were recognised this way too and they told me that they’re very proud of the fact that they’re working here. So that was a motivation for all of us, a lot of entrepreneurs, and a lot of artisans as well.”