25-year-old Indian model who opened Chanel 2026 show shares her parents' emotional reaction: Watch

Updated on: Dec 4, 2025, 11:28:38 IST

By Krishna Pallavi Priya

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Bhavitha Mandava is an Indian model who just opened Chanel's 2026 show.

Bhavitha Mandava, a 25-year-old model from India, made waves by opening Chanel's Métiers d’art 2026 collection in NYC. Here's how her parents' reacted.

25-year-old model Bhavitha Mandava has become the talk of the town after she opened Chanel's Métiers d’art 2026 collection by Matthieu Blazy in New York City. Born and raised in Hyderabad, India, she is an architect who moved to the US to study assistive technology at NYU in New York City.

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On December 3, Bhavitha shared an emotional video of her parents' reaction to her opening the Chanel show. She posted the clip with the caption, “Can’t put into words how much this means to me. Thank you @chanelofficial @matthieu_blazy.”

Bhavitha's parents react to her walking for Chanel

The video shows Bhavitha's mother and father watching her walk down the stairs of the Bowery Station in New York, enter the subway, and then open the show for Matthieu. Her mom, in joyful tears, can be seen excitedly repeating her daughter's name, as her father proudly watches the show.

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A post shared by Bhavitha Mandava (@bhavithamandava)

Bhavitha Mandava's story

According to models.com, Bhavitha was scouted at a subway station just two weeks before the Spring/Summer 2025 season. Viren H Shah, a fashion influencer, revealed in a December 4 Instagram video that it was Matthieu who first casted her in his show, and she made her debut as a Bottega Vanetta exclusive.

Viren shares in the clip, “She was discovered in the most ordinary of places, a New York City subway. And yesterday she just opened the Chanel Métiers d’art show in New York City in a train station.”

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A post shared by Viren H Shah (@fashunwithviren)

“2 weeks after being scouted, she debuts as a Bottega Vanetta exclusive under creative director Matthieu Blazy…She also did a campaign with him. And basically at this point, you know, she has met Matthieu. He has changed her life, giving her opportunities that she's dreamed of,” he added.

According to Viren, when Matthieu went to Chanel, Bhavitha walked for his Spring '26 runway show, his debut collection. “Now, in the most poetic full circle moment, Bhavitha opens Matthieu Blazy's second Chanel collection in New York City in the subway station where it all started,” he revealed.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Krishna Pallavi Priya
Krishna Priya Pallavi is a journalist with over 9 years of experience, covering health, fashion, pop culture, travel, wellness, entertainment, festivals, mental health, art, decor, fitness, and sex and relationships. She is an alumna of the Indian Institute of Mass Communication (IIMC), Dhenkanal, and holds an undergraduate degree in Journalism and Mass Communication from Guru Gobind Singh Indraprastha University, Delhi. Her strong academic foundation informs her analytical and detail-oriented approach to storytelling, helping her uncover stories where none seem to exist. Before joining Hindustan Times, Pallavi worked with some of India’s leading media organisations. She spent close to three years at India Today, where she honed her newsroom skills and developed a sharp editorial sensibility. She also worked for over a year and a half at Vagabomb, ScoopWhoop’s feminist digital platform, where she explored stories through a gender-sensitive, socially aware lens. Pallavi has a deep interest in global fashion trends and international fashion seasons, and enjoys interviewing celebrities and tracking pop culture movements—interests that frequently translate into engaging, reader-friendly stories. Alongside lifestyle and entertainment, she has a keen eye for impactful health and wellness journalism, regularly interacting with doctors, designers, and digital content creators to bring nuance and credibility to her work. Born and raised in Haryana, Pallavi remains deeply connected to her ancestral roots in Odisha. Her ability to spot fresh angles brings curiosity and depth to stories she pursues. When not chasing deadlines, she enjoys spending time with her dog, planning her next vacation, reading, running new trails, and discovering new destinations.Read More

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