The new Met Gala 2023 carpet is Made in India, Rooted in Kerala
This year's Met Gala looked a lot different than the previous ones and there was one main reason for it - the carpet. Met Gala 2023's carpet was not red in colour; instead, it was beige-coloured with swirling red and blue lines; or like the Internet would like to call, toothpaste carpet. And there is an Indian connection to this Met Gala carpet.
The Met Gala 2023 carpet was manufactured by a Kerala-based high fashion brand, Neytt by Extraweave. The carpet was designed by the Met team, woven by local artisans in Kerala and later coloured in the US.
This is how the company describes their work.
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But how did the carpet go from Kerala to New York?
Neytt by Extraweave had manufactured the red carpet for Met Gala 2022.
- They received the order from one of their customers in the US, Fibreworks Corporation, when the Met team was looking for a more sustainable option to choose from.
- And this year too, they reached out to Neytt to make the 2023 carpet, albeit in a different colour.
- The co-founder of Neytt by Extraweave, Sivan Santhosh, told News18 that Fibreworks Corporation were the ones who connected them to the folks at the Met Gala.
What is the carpet made of?
- The carpet is completely biodegradable and sustainable. It is made from Sisal fibre, derived from the bark of the Agave plant, a cactus typically found in East Africa and Central America.
- It took the Alleppey-based company 60-70 days to complete the manufacturing process that involved the use of machines as well as hand finishing.
Neytt was started just two years ago, but the parent company Extraweave has a hundred-year history. Extraweave was formed 23 years ago by Sivan Santhosh's father, who brought the experience of his family in the carpet industry to the company. Santhosh's grandfather founded the Travancore Mats and Matting company in 1916.
Extraweave has also worked for events at Buckingham Palace, created rugs and carpets for several Taj properties, Bollywood star Sonam Kapoor's house in London and more.
Carpets at events like the Met Gala are more than just a function. It's an accessory. Celebrities may walk on the carpet and not give it another look, but the carpet can make or break the outfits they are wearing. The traditionally red coloured carpet has been a staple at red carpet events to enhance the grandeur of those who walk down it.
Take, for example, the last Oscars night. The Internet was abuzz that the beige carpet that was decided on instead of the traditional red carpet washed out the outfits of the celebrities.
As for Met Gala 2023, none of that seems to have happened.
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