Bhavitha Mandava, a 25-year-old from Hyderabad, opened Chanel’s Métiers d’art 2026 collection in New York City after being scouted at a New York subway station just two weeks before the Spring/Summer 2025 season. Before modeling, Bhavitha studied architecture and later moved to the US to study assistive technology at NYU. Matthieu Blazy first cast her, and she debuted as a Bottega Veneta exclusive.
Bhavitha posted an emotional video of her parents watching her open the Chanel show, captioning it, “Can’t put into words how much this means to me. Thank you @chanelofficial @matthieu_blazy.” The clip has received millions of views and shows her mother and father beaming as she walks down the Bowery Station stairs.
Fashion influencer Viren H Shah noted the contrast between where she was discovered and where she now walks, saying she was found “in the most ordinary of places, a New York City subway,” and went on to open a Chanel show staged in a train station. Viewers and industry figures, including Karlie Kloss, reacted with praise and heartfelt emojis, celebrating Bhavitha’s rapid rise and her parents’ obvious pride.
