Neytt by Extraweave recently made it to the headlines after the Met Gala 2023 pictures hit the internet. This year’s Met Gala main runway carpet is a creation that came from Kerala and made of 100% Sisal, a sustainable, plant-based fibre. The Met Carpet is one of the many great pieces that the team behind Neytt has come up with. It was woven in Alleppey and hand-painted in the US.
Although the global media attention was achieved recently, Neytt’s work is backed by a decades-old craft intertwining with modern style and technology. A heritage preserved by the founders, Nimisha Srinivas and Sivan Santhosh.
History under your feet
Neytt was established in 2021, but this story is being written since 1917, when K. Velayudhan set up the Travancore Mats and Matting Company, and soon expanded its business and started exporting niche rugs and carpets across the globe. In the next millennium, his son, and Sivan’s father, Velayudhan Santosh established Extraweave, which led to the conception of The Rug Atelier, that further established Neytt. This is not the first time that this brand has won accolades for itself and the country either; in 2012, Neytt supplied rugs to an event that took place in the White House. The main runway carpet of the Met Gala 2022 was sourced from the same brand.
The venture has sustainability at its core, as it weaves artistic pieces with raw materials like sisal, seagrass, water hyacinth, bamboo, recycled PET, et al. Neytt strives to give back to nature in every way; along with making these products durable and recyclable, the team has adopted an Effluent Treatment Plant that purifies used water to lower its pollution levels. Furthermore, solar energy usage, rainwater harvesting, and using recycled and seed paper in their office, add to their efforts. Recyclable packaging for all products is the icing on the cake.
Most of the craftwork at Neytt is done by hand, be it tufted, knotted, or woven, it is tailored to suit every space and person with their own aesthetics and taste. The designs are distinct as a result of collaborating with various designers with their unique style. Niels Kiene Salventius with his ‘One Line Momentalism’, Vanessa Meister Varma with her strong expression of female identity in her designs, Bijin Davis’ minimalistic crafts and techniques rich with Japanese and Indian influence are a few of the names that add a touch of singularity to the Neytt Collections.