Who is Bhavitha? Indian model opens Chanel Métiers d'Art 2026
What's the story
Bhavitha Mandava, an Indian model, recently made headlines by opening the Chanel Metiers d'Art 2026 collection in New York City. The 25-year-old, who hails from Hyderabad and is an architect by profession, was scouted at a subway station in NYC. She had moved to the US for her studies in assistive technology and had no plans to venture into modeling.
Career start
Mandava's modeling journey began unexpectedly
Mandava signed as an exclusive model for Bottega Veneta's Summer 2025 collection just two weeks later. Fashion influencer Viren H Shah shared her story on Instagram. He highlighted the poetic irony of Mandava opening Matthieu Blazy's Chanel collection in the same subway station where her modeling career began. Showin Bishop, founder of 28Models, said on their official website, "I knew from the start. She had that rare energy, effortless, striking, and elegant in a way that couldn't be taught."
Gratitude
Mandava expressed gratitude for Chanel opportunity
The fashion show took place in an abandoned Bowery station in downtown Manhattan, with celebrities like Kristen Stewart and Jon Bon Jovi also attending. Mandava shared a video on Instagram showing her parents' reaction to her opening the Chanel show. She wrote, "Can't put into words how much this means to me. Thank you @chanelofficial @matthieu_blazy."