Chanel breaks silence on Indian model Bhavitha Mandava's top and ‘denim’ look at Met Gala that took ‘250 hours to make’

What do you think — was Bhavitha Mandava's Chanel look a brilliant subversion of the Met Gala dress code or did the label play it too safe for a historic debut?

Indian model Bhavitha Mandava, the history-making Chanel brand ambassador, made her Met Gala debut in a look that immediately divided the internet. As critics on X (formerly Twitter) and Instagram blamed the French luxury house for 'under-dressing' their first Indian ambassador, Chanel has explained the deep-rooted sentiment behind the 'denim' look.

Indian model Bhavitha Mandava made her Met Gala debut in a denim-inspired look. (Pic courtesy: Chanel)

Bhavitha's Met look: casual by design, couture by craft

At first glance, Bhavitha, the first Indian model to open a Chanel runway show and also the first Indian face to be named a ‘global house ambassador’ for Chanel, appeared to have walked off a New York street and onto the Met Gala carpet. Her ensemble consisted of a beige muslin half-zip sweater layered over a crisp white top, muslin printed pants featuring a meticulous blue 'denim effect', signature Chanel two-tone heels and minimal diamond studs.

Take a closer look at what Bhavitha wore:

Bhavitha Mandava's Met Gala debut blended personal history and high fashion, being a couture version of her previous look. (Pic courtesy: Chanel)

While it looked like high-street streetwear, Chanel clarified that the model's outfit was a haute couture reinterpretation of the look Bhavitha wore to open the Métiers d’art show in New York in December 2025. The 'jeans' were actually engineered from silk and muslin, requiring '250 hours' of handwork to mimic denim's texture.

Chanel shared an official statement with HT Lifestyle regarding the styling choice: “Bhavitha Mandava, Chanel ambassador, wore at the Met Gala a beige muslin half zip sweater over a white muslin top and muslin printed pants with a blue denim effect. This look is a Haute Couture reinterpretation of the outfit she wore to open the Métiers d’art show in New York last December, marking her return to the city where she was first discovered. 250 hours were required in the making of this look.”

The selfie and the social media frenzy

The buzz around the model's Met Gala look peaked when Bhavitha shared a 'bathroom selfie' echoing Kylie Jenner’s iconic 2017 moment. In the frame, Bhavitha stood alongside actors Margot Robbie and Ayo Edebiri, and Blackpink members, all of whom were draped in traditional high-fashion gowns.

The visual contrast triggered an immediate wave of social media reactions with X and Instagram users questioning why a South Asian model was given 'mall clothes' for her big Met Gala debut while her peers wore custom couture, once again proving that in the era of 'viral fashion', a look is no longer judged just by its craftsmanship, but by its optical impact.

Bhavitha opens up about her look

For Chanel, the look was meta-storytelling: a high-fashion loop that honoured Bhavitha’s 'subway discovery' story. However, on social media, where 'quiet luxury' often struggles to compete with 'loud spectacle', the subtlety was lost.

Bhavitha told British Vogue in a May 5 Instagram video that was recorded as she got ready to walk the Met Gala carpet: "This is also surreal... My look is a couture version of my opening look, a full-circle moment."

To the model and the brand, it was a poetic tribute to her journey; to the internet, it was a missed opportunity for a 'princess moment' and visual representation.