Bhavitha Mandava became the first Indian model to open a Chanel runway when she led the house’s Métiers d’Art 2026 show in New York City on Dec. 2. She introduced the presentation inside a decommissioned Bowery subway station that Chanel converted into a custom venue for the annual event. She opened the show as the first model to walk the runway, presenting the debut look of the collection to guests seated along the restored station platform.
Academic path before entering fashion: Mandava, 25, was raised in Hyderabad and completed an architecture degree at Jawaharlal Nehru Technological University before moving to the U.S. for graduate study. She later earned a master’s in Integrated Design and Media with a focus on human computer interaction at New York University. Mandava was focused on academic work when she arrived in New York and was not pursuing a modeling career during her studies.
Chance discovery at a subway: Mandava’s entry into fashion began two weeks before the Spring Summer 2025 shows when she was standing on a New York City subway platform and was noticed by Matthieu Blazy, who was then creative director at Bottega Veneta. He cast her on the spot for the Spring Summer 2025 runway, which became her first appearance in luxury fashion. When Blazy later moved to Chanel, Mandava continued working with him and walked in his Spring 2026 debut in October 2025. In a post reflecting on that transition, she wrote, “Exactly a year ago, I started modeling, and @matthieu_blazy was the first person I ever worked with. From my first runway to my first campaign, you made a life I never could have dreamed possible. I’m so honored to be following you to @chanelofficial.”
Touching family reaction: Following the Métiers d’Art presentation, Mandava posted a video showing her parents watching the runway from their home in Hyderabad. In the recording, her mother can be heard repeating her name while wiping tears, and her father remains seated beside her as they watch the show on a television screen. Mandava shared the clip with the caption, “Can’t put into words how much this means to me. Thank you @chanelofficial @matthieu_blazy.”
This story is part of The Rebel Yellow Newsletter — a bold weekly newsletter from the creators of NextShark, reclaiming our stories and celebrating Asian American voices.
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