Bhavitha Mandava

Bhavitha Mandava became the first Indian model to open a Chanel show and be named a house ambassador. She achieved the milestone at the brand’s Métiers d'Art 2026 show in New York, staged in a subway station in an uncanny echo of how her modelling career began.

Born and raised in a Telugu-speaking family and trained as an architect at the Jawaharlal Nehru Technological University in Hyderabad, Mandava moved to the US to pursue a master’s degree at New York University. The prospect of paying off her student debt persuaded Mandava to give modelling a try after the founder of the agency that scouted her sent photos to casting directors, which eventually made their way to Matthieu Blazy.

Mandava made her runway debut at Bottega Veneta’s Spring/Summer 2025 show but continued to juggle school and her campus job with modelling. Mandava has since walked for Christian Dior and Courrèges, but her career has been closely tied to Blazy, who continued working with her after taking over as artistic director of Chanel in 2025. The breakout star has since landed solo covers for British Vogue, i-D, Numéro and Perfect, and spoken about colourism in India and perceptions of Indian beauty in the West.