Going beyond the ‘Neytt gala'
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.
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