The most recent fundraising event for the Costume Institute at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, which is more commonly known as the Met Gala, took place not too long ago in New York. Even though the attendees of the gala turned heads with their larger-than-life outfits, with some supporting conscious fashion by wearing vintage pieces, a few eco-friendly details from the event stood out as particularly noteworthy.
The Indian company Neytt by Extraweave was responsible for producing the carpet for the event for the second time in a row. The white carpet was woven by skilled craftspeople in Kerala out of sisal fibre, which is obtained from the Agave cactus plant. Because of this, the carpet is fully biodegradable. A staggering number of 6,960 square metres worth of robust fabric was produced by the manufacturer for the carpet. After that, artists in New York hand-painted the white carpet with details in red and blue to give it some contrast. The Sisal fibre was also highlighted by the brand on the carpet that was used for the Met Gala in 2022, which was the first time that India was ever represented at the Met Gala.
The history of Neytt, a company that was established by Sivan Santhosh and Nimisha Srinivas, is profoundly anchored in the principles of sustainability and creativity. Seagrass, water hyacinth, lyocell, bamboo silk, linen, and recycled polyethylene terephthalate (PET) are some of the materials that are combined with time-honored manufacturing techniques to make the brand’s products.
Additional highlights of the Met Gala’s commitment to sustainability include the following:
Not only was the handwoven carpet from Kerala a highlight of the event from a sustainability standpoint, but there were other highlights as well. The light works that lined the carpet on either side were fashioned from recycled water bottles and emitted a blue glow. These installations took the form of hedges. The chandeliers that were utilised to ornament the ceiling were also created from recycled bottles, giving the entire room a cohesive look. In addition, the bottles that were used will be recycled and put to use in the future after the event is over.
