While the world fixates on the “Fashion Is Art” dress code at the 2026 Met Gala, the most important piece of art is already underfoot. For the fourth time, the global stage for fashion’s most scrutinised
walk has been crafted in the coastal town of Cherthala, Kerala.
Neytt by Extraweave has once again rolled out the literal foundation of the Met Gala. Spanning a massive 73,625 square feet, this year’s “red” carpet (actually an immaculate white base) was woven from hand-sorted sisal fibre sourced from Madagascar. Beyond the glamour, the engineering is obsessive: the bouclé weave is designed to be “stiletto-proof,” ensuring that neither a sharp heel nor a trailing couture train catches on a stray thread. It was shipped to New York months ago, where artists have painted it according to the theme, which is ‘Fashion is Art’.
The journey from a Kerala loom to the Metropolitan Museum of Art is one of high-stakes mystery. The rolls are shipped to New York months in advance, where local artists hand-paint the final design under “no-phone” security protocols. Only after the first celebrity arrives does the team in Alleppey see their work in its full, painted glory. In 2025 too, Neytt had supplied a white carpet, which had then been painted by artist Cy Gavin, who added the midnight blue and white-and-yellow narcissus flowers that we loved.
All About Neytt by Extraweave
While their parent company, Extraweave, has spent a century mastering the technical side of floor coverings (even supplying the White House), Neytt is the high-fashion, design-led face of the brand helmed by co-founders Sivan Santhosh and Nimisha Srinivas.
They focus on sustainability (using sisal, lyocell, and upcycled fishing nets), South Indian design language, and community-centric production (98% of their team are locals). They have successfully shifted the narrative of Indian carpet-weaving from the North (Bhadohi/Kashmir) to the South, proving that Kerala’s coir and sisal traditions can compete with global luxury standards.
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“We want to revolutionise designs and use more sustainable materials. We’re hoping to collaborate with more people and complimentary brands that have the same synergy with us. We would also like to be present everywhere by setting up e-commerce. We want to create an experience for the customer — from the conceptualisation stage to the end carpet. We want to tell stories through rugs,” opined Sivan Santhosh, Founder & CEO of Neytt Homes, in an interview with Travel & Leisure India.
