- Tuesday, May 06, 2025
By: Vibhuti Pathak
A luxury carpet from a small town in Kerala once again made its way to one of the world’s biggest fashion events—the Met Gala 2025. For the third time in a row, Neytt by Extraweave, a premium home furnishing brand based in Cherthala, Alappuzha, was tasked with creating the event’s signature carpet.
The 2025 carpet, a royal blue canvas adorned with delicate yellow and white daffodils, perfectly complemented this year’s theme—”Superfine: Tailoring Black Style.” It was not just a backdrop for celebrity glamor but a showstopper in its own right. Stars like Shah Rukh Khan, making his Met Gala debut in an all-black Sabyasachi ensemble, and Punjabi singer Diljit Dosanjh, dressed in a regal Maharaja-inspired outfit, walked proudly on the Kerala-crafted masterpiece.
The carpet was not just another floor covering—it was an epic project in scale and craftsmanship. Spanning 6,840 square meters, it was created over 90 days by 480 skilled workers. Neytt shipped the carpet in 57 rolls, each measuring 4 meters by 30 meters. Made from natural sisal fibre imported from Madagascar, the carpet’s white base was woven in India and later hand-painted by artists in New York to suit the Met’s artistic direction.
Sivan Santhosh, Director of Extraweave and CEO of Neytt, called it a proud moment. “A lot of care and effort have gone into the carpet. The entire team across departments worked together to create this beautiful piece of art,” he said. The intricate process involved sorting the sisal fibre by hand to avoid even the slightest shade variations, as mismatched threads would visibly distort the final look.
Using a specialized loom for a flat boucle weave, the artisans achieved not just precision but artistic elegance. “It feels like more than just a carpet. It’s a unique confluence of art, fashion, and culture,” added Sivan.
This legacy of craftsmanship goes back over a century. Neytt’s roots trace to 1917, when K. Velayudhan, Sivan’s grandfather, founded the Travancore Mats and Matting Company. His son, Santhosh Velayudhan, expanded the business with the launch of Extraweave Pvt. Ltd. two decades ago. Neytt, co-founded by Sivan and Nimisha Srinivas, focuses on sustainable carpets made from silk, bamboo, seagrass, water hyacinth, and recycled PET materials. It also champions women’s empowerment, with over 40 per cent of its workforce being women, including in leadership roles.
Now a trusted partner of the Met Gala team for three consecutive years, Neytt by Extraweave has proven that Indian craftsmanship can stand on the world’s biggest luxury stages. “We are proud that the carpet we create is the canvas for such an iconic event,” Sivan said.
