The stunning blue carpet featured at Met Gala, world's most glamorous fashion event held in New York City, was crafted by Neytt by Extraweave, a Kerala-based brand founded by Sivan Santhosh and Nimisha Srinivas. From Cherthala, a place famous for its coir industry, Neytt by Extraweave is a five-year-old company but their legacy is a century-old.
Sivan's granddad Velayudhan, established Travancore Mats and Matting Company in 1917, while his father, Santhosh, founded Extraweave two decades ago. Continuing the tradition, Sivan started his own company, Neytt which in Malayalam means weaving.This marks their third consecutive appearance at the Met Gala.
The production process
According to Sivan, the team dedicated 90 days to crafting the carpets at their Cherthala factory, with the support of 500 skilled workers. They produced 57 rolls of carpet, covering approximately 6,840 sq metres. “We always prioritise quality and execute our work with precision,” Sivan said.
How did a design firm from Cherthala,
Kerala, make its mark at the Met Gala?
They got in touch with the Met Gala organisers through a customer of theirs named Fiber Works in the USA. It was their long-standing clients who recommended Neytt by Extraweave to the Met Gala organisers. Neytt Wave manufactures the carpets, while they were hand-painted by artists in the USA.
The carpet was woven from sisal fibre—derived from the bark of the Agave cactus, a plant native to East Africa and Central America. Sivan explained that the fibre was sourced from regions including Brazil, Tanzania, and Madagascar, and the bark of the plant is used to make the carpet. The fibre is very strong and can stretch upto 120 cm —perfect for making carpets. The Met Gala organisers specifically asked for the sisal fibre.
Cherthala –
the hub for the coir industry
Cherthala, located in Alappuzha district, stands as a cornerstone of Kerala's coir industry—a legacy that intertwines tradition with innovation. This coastal town, renowned for its coconut groves, has been a hub for coir production since the 19th century. Cherthala's coir industry transforms humble coconut husks into beautiful mats, rugs, ropes, and more. The rhythmic thrum of traditional spinning wheels blends with modern innovations, sustaining livelihoods while honoring age-old traditions. As sustainability becomes a global mantra, Cherthala proudly stands as a symbol of green enterprise and cultural heritage, one coir fiber at a time.
Going places
From traditional coir craft on the shores of Kerala to the red carpet of the Met Gala, they showed the world that hard work pays off. The weaving company has previously supplied its carpets to Buckingham Palace and the White House and has created rugs and carpets for many Taj properties. Sonam Kapoor's house in London has also been furnished using their rugs.