Bhavitha Mandava wears black Chanel gown to 2026 Innovator Awards event to celebrate creative director Mathieu Blazy

Bhavitha Mandava shared photos of a black, floor-length gown embroidered with fish and coral motifs and accented with turquoise beads.

Fashion model Bhavitha Mandava, the first Indian model to open a Chanel show in New York City, expressed her gratitude to the fashion house's creative director, Matthieu Blazy, in an Instagram post, penning a heartfelt caption calling him the ‘hero of my life.’

In the post, Bhavitha also shared pictures of a glitzy dress she wore to the Wall Street Journal Magazine's 2026 Innovator Awards at the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) in New York City, where Matthieu Blazy was honoured with the Fashion Innovator award and even gave a speech after receiving the accolade. She also posted pictures of herself on the subway and street-level glimpses of her Chanel ads.

The subway pictures are iconic in themselves and pay homage to her discovery by a modelling agent when she was commuting on the New York subway.

More about the dress

The dress she wore exuded a quiet grace. The sleeveless black gown featured a round neckline, an open back, a fitted waist and a floor-length skirt. The underwater-themed embroidery on the fabric, featuring fish and delicate coral motifs, made it stand out. The turquoise beaded detailing added a thematic colour accent. It is perfect for an evening look that stands out.

How was she discovered?

Bhavitha's journey from the subway platform to the ramp is nothing short of a storybook tale, one that many dream about.

A Hyderabad-born student pursuing a Master of Science in Integrated Design and Media in New York, she now walks for one of the biggest luxury brands and is a Chanel house ambassador.

Much of the online attention has focused on how she entered modelling without any prior experience, solely following a chance encounter on the subway. She was spotted in September 2024, and Matthieu Blazy, then the creative director of Bottega Veneta, helped her runway debut as an exclusive model for the brand's Spring/Summer 2025 show in Milan. She also appeared in the brand's campaign.

The opportunity opened doors for her, eventually leading her to Chanel. Following Blazy's move to the fashion house, she was also called upon to open Chanel’s Métiers d’Art 2026 show in December 2025, becoming the first Indian model to open a Chanel show.

In retrospect, the model calling the creative director the ‘hero of my life’ shows the major role he played in changing her life, believing in her vision, capability, potential and taking a chance on her.