Who Is Bhavitha Mandava? 5 Things About the Indian Model Who Opened for Chanel
She was scouted in a subway station!
by Firas Abboud
Published on Dec 7, 2025
The recent Chanel Métiers d'Art collection was Matthieu Blazy's inaugural one, which is why it was only fitting that it was a spectacle. Held in the New York subway station, the front row was graced by celebrities such as Tilda Swinton, ASAP Rocky, and Kristen Stewart.
Also causing quite the buzz were British Fashion Council's 2024 Model of Year Alex Consani and supermodels Liu Wen and Natasha Poly, who all walked the runway. After the show, however, there was one model who took over the headlines—Bhavitha Mandava.
Who Is Bhavitha Mandava?
1. She has an architecture degree
The 25-year-old was born in Hyderabad, India, where she took up architecture from the Jawaharlal Nehru Technological University.
2. She has a master's degree
Bhavitha moved to New York to pursue her master's degree in assistive technology and human-computer interaction. She graduated from New York University earlier this year.
3. She was scouted in the New York subway
One day, while taking the New York subway, Bhavitha was scouted to walk for Matthieu's Bottega Veneta's Spring/Summer 2025 collection. In addition to walking the show, she also landed a campaign for the fashion house.
4. She is the first Indian to open a Chanel show
Bhavitha made history as the first Indian model to open a Chanel show. On top of that, the Chanel show took place in the New York subway, which was where she was scouted—talk about a full circle moment!
5. She shared a video of her parents that went viral
The model posted a reaction video of her parents, who proudly and emotionally watched their daughter open the Chanel show. As of writing, the video has 1.6 million likes and 16.3 million views.