KERALA’S NEYTT WEAVES GLOBAL LUXURY INTO THE MET GALA WHITE CARPET

Kerala’s Neytt, founded by Sivan Santhosh and Nimisha Srinivas, supplied the white carpet for the 2026 Met Gala, marking its second commission. Rooted in a century-old family legacy, Neytt blends heritage with innovation, crafting bespoke rugs from exotic materials and collaborating with global artists to redefine luxury flooring and design.  

Kerala’s artisans once again found themselves at the centre of fashion’s grandest spectacle, the Met Gala, held annually at New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art. This year’s long white carpet, which ushered in the world’s most celebrated names, was woven in Alappuzha by Neytt, a design house founded by Sivan Santhosh and Nimisha Srinivas. For the second consecutive year, Neytt supplied the carpets for the Gala, underscoring the growing global resonance of Kerala’s craftsmanship.

The Met Gala, hosted since 1948 by the Metropolitan—the largest art museum in the United States—has become a cultural phenomenon where each guest interprets a theme through costume. In 2026, the organisers honoured the late German designer Karl Lagerfeld, specifying a white carpet. Neytt’s contribution was not only in colour but also in design: serpentine ‘S’ shapes inspired by an English painter, a departure from tradition that added artistic flair to the evening. “Every year, the red carpet has a specific theme that each guest replicates by way of their costume. This year, to honour Karl Lagerfeld, the organisers were specific about a white-coloured carpet,” explained Sivan Santhosh.

Yet Neytt is more than a supplier of carpets—it is a brand that embodies Kerala’s heritage while pushing the boundaries of contemporary design. Based in Cherthala, in India’s southernmost state, Neytt is orchestrated by Sivan Santhosh and Nimisha Srinivas. Though a recent phenomenon, it is backed by a century-old legacy. In 1917, Sivan’s grandfather, K. Velayudhan, founded The Travancore Mats and Matting Company, which grew into a massive venture exporting niche rugs and carpets worldwide. When the millennium arrived, Velayudhan Santosh established Extraweave Pvt Ltd, which has enjoyed two decades of success and carved a niche in the global market. Neytt, launched two years ago, represents the latest chapter in this family’s story—a high-fashion luxury brand crafting bespoke rugs and carpets.

What sets Neytt apart is its willingness to experiment. Beyond custom sizes, shapes, designs, and borders, the brand explores exotic materials such as sisal, seagrass, water hyacinth, lyocell, bamboo silk, linen, and recycled PET. By collaborating with avant-garde artists from across the world, Neytt is revolutionising the way interior designers approach luxury floor and wall coverings. “The serpentine lines with ‘S’ shapes were inspired by an English painter,” Sivan noted, highlighting how art and design converge in Neytt’s work. This fusion of heritage and innovation has already earned Neytt commissions from Buckingham Palace, the White House, luxury hotels, and celebrity homes.

The Met Gala commission is particularly symbolic. For Kerala, it represents not just a supply contract but a cultural triumph. The artistry of Alappuzha’s weavers, rooted in tradition yet adaptable to modern demands, has become part of fashion’s most photographed spectacle. As stars walked the white carpet, they also walked on a century-old story of resilience, creativity, and global recognition woven in Kerala. Neytt’s carpets, with their serpentine motifs and avant-garde sensibility, became an invisible yet integral part of the Gala’s narrative.

The journey from Travancore Mats and Matting Co to Neytt is a testament to the family’s vision. K. Velayudhan’s pioneering spirit in 1917 laid the foundation for a global enterprise. His son’s establishment of Extraweave in 2000 expanded the reach of Kerala’s craftsmanship, and now, under Sivan and Nimisha’s leadership, Neytt is redefining luxury carpeting. Their ambition is not merely to supply carpets but to create art underfoot—pieces that transform spaces and challenge conventions. In doing so, Neytt positions itself at the intersection of heritage and high fashion, a rare blend that resonates with discerning audiences worldwide.

The Met Gala’s choice of Neytt for the second year in a row is a powerful endorsement. It signals that Kerala’s craftsmanship is not only relevant but essential to the global luxury conversation. Neytt’s carpets are no longer confined to palaces and hotels; they are part of the cultural fabric of events that shape fashion history. For Sivan and Nimisha, this is both a professional milestone and a personal mission—to ensure that Kerala’s artisans are celebrated on the world stage.

Looking ahead, Neytt’s trajectory seems poised for further expansion. Its collaborations with international artists suggest a future where carpets are not just functional but expressive, where materials like bamboo silk and recycled PET redefine sustainability in luxury design. In an era where fashion and interiors increasingly intersect, Neytt’s bespoke creations offer a new vocabulary for designers and consumers alike. The brand’s presence at the Met Gala is a reminder that luxury is not only about opulence but about storytelling, heritage, and innovation.

Kerala’s moment at the Met Gala is therefore more than symbolic. It is a reflection of how local craftsmanship, when nurtured and reimagined, can command global attention. Neytt’s carpets, woven in Alappuzha, carried with them the weight of history and the promise of the future. As celebrities posed for cameras on the white carpet, they stood on a legacy that began in 1917 and continues to evolve. For Kerala, and for Neytt, the Met Gala was not just a red carpet moment—it was a white carpet revolution.