Who is Bhavitha Mandava? Meet the first Indian model to open a Chanel fashion show

Dubai: 'Who is the Chanel girl?' the models were asked before the Chanel Métiers d'art 2026 collection. "I am the Chanel girl," said Bhavitha Mandava.

Bhavitha Mandava never planned to become a model. The NYU graduate student was more focused on finishing her master's degree than walking runways. But a chance encounter for her on a New York subway changed everything.

Now, less than a year after her fashion debut, the 25-year-old has made history as the first Indian model to open a Chanel show. The internet can't get enough of her.

A reluctant start

Mandava was scouted multiple times before she finally said yes. Born and raised in Hyderabad India, she moved to New York to pursue a Master of Science in Integrated Design and Media at NYU.

"I was brought up in a very academic household where we were constantly told that the only way to succeed was to study well, get good grades, get a good job," she explained in an interview with Dazed.

The turning point came when she struggled to find an internship as graduation approached. A scout from 28Models approached her on the subway, just two weeks before Bottega Veneta's Spring/Summer 2025 show.

Mandava initially refused. But when the scout mentioned she could help pay off her student debt, she reconsidered. "I needed money to study and finish my education," she admitted.

From subway to runway

The scout sent Mandava's photos to casting director Anita Bitton, who showed them to Matthieu Blazy. At the time, Blazy was creative director at Bottega Veneta.

Blazy cast her on the spot. Two weeks later, Mandava made her runway debut at Bottega Veneta in September 2024. She walked confidently in a simple white oversized shirt over a pleated skirt.

"I didn't have any clue about what Bottega Veneta was, which is where I made my runway debut," she confessed.

Balancing two worlds

Mandava didn't give up on her studies despite her sudden fashion career. She juggled her campus job at NYU MakerSpace with back-to-back classes. She flew to Europe every weekend to model.

"With all the travel it was hard to balance getting assignments in on time," she said. "I also had a job on campus as a lab coordinator. I wanted to hold on to it as that's where all my friends were."

She graduated from NYU in May 2025 with two degrees in her hand, she did her Bachelors in Architecture and Masters in interacted design and media, and gained newfound confidence.

Following Blazy to Chanel

When Blazy was named Chanel's new artistic director in December 2024, Mandava walked in his debut Spring/Summer 2026 show. She wore a stunning black dress with gold feather-like tassels and pink feathers at the hem.

Then came the moment that changed everything. Blazy chose Mandava to open Chanel's Métiers d'Art show in December 2025.

The show was staged in an abandoned subway station in New York. It was a full-circle moment for Mandava, whose modeling career began on the subway.

Blazy even dressed her in a look that referenced that moment. She walked down the concrete platform in a beige quarter-zip sweater and stonewashed jeans. The casual outfit looked like it could have been pulled from her own wardrobe.

Making history

Monumentally, Mandava became the first Indian model to open a Chanel show.

She shared a video of her parents reacting to the historic moment on social media. "My Brown parents' reaction to me opening the Chanel show," she captioned the sweet clip. The video went viral within hours.

"I actually didn't know that I was the first Brown model to open the show at that point," Mandava said. "It was after the show that people started posting about it, which is when I was like, 'Whoa, this is huge.'"

Why representation matters

Mandava spoke candidly about the lack of South Asian representation in fashion.

"Brown representation in fashion is lacking," she said. "At castings you see white people, you see Black people, you see East Asian people, and then I'll often be one of only one or two Brown people."

She described how she'd wait in line with another Brown model at castings, knowing only one of them would get the job.

"At Bottega, and at Chanel, I never felt that way, though," she explained. "There was no rivalry involved. Matthieu made space for everybody."

The Hobbymaxxing model

Now that she's graduated, Mandava is embracing what she calls "hobbymaxxing." She's learning to play the Indian flute and ukulele. She bought a suturing kit after having a dream about a loved one getting hurt.

"I went on Amazon, bought one, and now I'm learning to suture," she said. She also has a stick-and-poke tattoo kit, a crocheting kit, and loves to knit.

With endorsements from Chanel, Bottega Veneta, and Dior already on her resume, Mandava's fashion future looks bright. But if modeling doesn't work out, her collection of hobby kits will keep her busy.

For now, she's savouring the moment and the doors she's opening for other South Asian models in the fashion industry.

Areeba Hashmi is a trainee at Gulf News.