Another edition of the Met Gala swept through New York with its usual swirl of stardust — celebrities shimmering under the flash of cameras, daring outfits turning heads, all for a museum, the New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art.
Yet, amid the spectacle, this year’s most unexpected showstopper wasn’t any of the guests. For the little state of Kerala, and the Malayalis across the world, the proud moment was a weaving label from Cherthala.
From halfway across the world, Neytt by Extraweave took centre stage by laying down the very carpet that welcomed the stars. Founded by Sivan Santhosh and his wife Nimisha Srinivas, this was Neytt’s third Met Gala moment.
The weaving house made its debut appearance at the Met in 2022 with a red-and-blue striped carpet for the theme — ‘In America: An Anthology of Fashion’. In 2023, they mesmerised the world with a swirly red-and-blue print on an off-white sisal weave, made in collaboration with Japanese architect Tadao Ando for the Karl Lagerfeld tribute.
“The maiden order came through a long-term customer (a Kentucky-based company) of Extraweave. At first, we didn’t know it was for the Met Gala. All we knew was that it was for a big fashion event. We were happy and proud to see our rug and the efforts of the local artist of Cherthala being featured on such a global platform. It was indeed a priceless moment,” says Sivan.
Though the makers didn’t know the entire picture, the meticulous production process wasn’t compromised. “The first one was a learning process for us. We made several prototypes to decide the right material and plan the finer details. When the celebrities walk, the weave should be in such a way that they don’t trip...,” he smiles.
Each year, Neytt levels up the quality. We ensure that it comes with a certain finesse, says Sivan, whose grandfather began making coir doormats in 1917, under the name Travancore Mats and Matting company.
For this Met Gala, the carpet was woven from 6,840 square metres of natural sisal fibre extracted from agave cactus sourc-
ed from Madagascar. Five hundred artisans from Alappuzha worked 90 days to complete it.
“The fibre is hand-sorted to ensure quality. And then, the process begins — spinning them into yarn, refining it even finer, winding them onto bobbins, loading them onto the loom, and then weaving into a carpet. For this project, we created 57 individual rolls, each measuring 4 by 30 feet,” he explains.
This year, the blank canvas was transformed by artist Cy Gavin, who painted it midnight blue and dotted it with white-and-yellow narcissus flowers. The final look of the carpet echoed the theme of the Costume Institute exhibit ‘Superfine: Tailoring Black Style’.
Women empowerment
Started in 2021, Sivan began Neytt by Extraweave with the vision of pinning Alappuzha and Cherthala on the world map of carpets.
“Rug making is always connected to places like Baduhi, Mirzapur, Panipat... So the vision was to showcase the rug-making expertise of Alappuzha. Our district is an expert at weaving. When my grandfather started his company, there were many similar firms in the area. But almost all have disappeared now,” he says.
Alongside, Nyett also aims to popularise the traditional Kerala elements and highlight the south Indian weaving culture.
Neytt has incorporated collections featuring Vallamkali, which won the prestigious DNA Paris Design Awards 2023; aranmula kannadi; bharatanatyam; Bidri artwork; kasavu details and even architectural elements of South.
“While incorporating these traditional elements, we also engage the experts in that field. For the Vallamkali designs, we sat with the oarsmen to get the details right. This makes the process inclusive and the product becomes more relatable,” says Sivan.
Neytt’s focus is on products such as rugs, carpets, wall covering and woven artworks. And according to the founders, it ensures the weaving community working with the organisation get continued support, especially the women weavers.
“About 99 per cent of our workforce are local employees, and around 40 per cent are women. They’re involved in every stage of production. But it’s in the mending process where their precision truly shines. A part of the carpet-making is machine-led, but machines can make mistakes — missed yarns, uneven knots, or loose ends. These are meticulously corrected by hand. That level of detail requires skill and patience, and it’s only the women who can handle it,” he says.
Sustainability
What makes Nyett stand out is how it approaches the sustainable model through innovation. In addition to sisal fibre, Nyett uses recycled PET bottles, bamboo, water hyacinth, and hemp. “All of these bring a difference in textures as well,” the founder explains.
Collaborating with the fishing community of Vypeen, Nyett also has plans to launch products made out of discarded fishing nets. “This is to make use of waste and provide a livelihood for the community. The project is part of a World Wide Fund for Nature initiative titled ‘Waves to Weaves’,” he adds.
Similar sustainable projects are also in the pipeline. One is upcycling bed sheets and covers that have neared their end. “We procure virgin fibre from it. They can be made into carpets.”
Other materials include econyl, where carpets in their end stage are shredded, and upcycled again to make new carpets. Beyond the one-off collaborations like the Met Gala, Neytt regularly supplies its products to other international brands. However, Sivan says, not everything is rosy.
“Weaving is generally looked down upon, so attracting the next generation is a challenge. But as a result we can create an aspirational space by offering fair wages, incentives, and a sense of pride in the work.”
Events like the Met Gala, he says, serve as powerful moments of recognition for the artisans.
“For them, it’s a source of pride to know that before the celebrities walked the carpet, they were the ones who created it. It’s surreal... the stars we admire walked on something made by our hands. Maybe one day, we would get to walk on it too. that would be amazing,” he laughs.