Last week, as fashion fans watched model Bhavitha Mandava open Chanel’s 2025 Métiers d’art show—staged on a New York City subway platform—they had no idea just how fitting the setting truly was. Why? Because, as fashion lore has it, the New York City subway is where the 25-year-old graduate student once caught the eye of a fellow passenger—who just so happened to be Matthieu Blazy, then the creative director at Bottega Veneta.

Mandava is from India, where she earned a bachelor’s degree in architecture before moving to New York to pursue a master’s in interactive design and media at NYU. Fate, it seems, had other plans. After that chance encounter on public transport, the student found herself walking the Spring 2025 Bottega runway, and was later cast in a house campaign.

Blazy has since been appointed creative director at Chanel, and he’s brought his muse with him. Not only did she walk his debut Spring 2026 show, Mandava was also the first model out onto the makeshift Métiers d’art runway—housed in a decommissioned Bowery J/Z subway station—last week. She became the first Indian model in history to open a Chanel show.

“Can’t put into words how much this means to me,” Mandava wrote in an Instagram post after the show. She included a video clip of her thrilled parents watching the show online from back home in India.

As entries into the fashion world go, it’s one to beat. Mandava was cast in Dior and Courrèges shows soon after her Bottega debut. Now, as a favorite of Blazy, the lecture hall may suddenly seem a long way away for Bhavitha Mandava.

Frequently Asked Questions
Of course Here is a list of FAQs about The Story Behind Model Bhavitha Mandavas Historic Chanel Moment designed to answer questions from general interest to more detailed insights

General Beginner Questions

1 Who is Bhavitha Mandava
Bhavitha Mandava is an Indian model and fashion influencer who made history by becoming the first Indian model to open a Chanel show

2 What exactly was her Historic Chanel Moment
It refers to her walking as the opening model for the Chanel Métiers dart 202223 show in Dakar Senegal Opening a show is a prestigious spot and she was the first Indian model to do so for Chanel

3 Why was this moment so significant
It was significant because Chanel one of the most iconic French fashion houses chose an Indian model to open its showa major step for diversity and representation in high fashion It highlighted a shift towards global inclusivity on the worlds most exclusive runways

4 Which Chanel show was it
It was the Chanel Métiers dart 202223 show This annual collection highlights the work of Chanels specialist ateliers and is often held in a globally significant city that year being Dakar

Advanced Detailed Questions

5 What does it mean to open a fashion show
The opening model is the first to walk the runway setting the tone for the entire collection Its one of the most coveted and visible positions in a show usually given to a model who embodies the collections spirit or marks an important statement for the brand

6 Was she just a show opener or did she have other notable moments
While opening was the historic highlight she also closed a segment of the same show bookending a major part of the presentation and further cementing her key role in the lineup

7 How did this impact the fashion industrys view of Indian models
It served as a powerful benchmark proving that Indian models can hold toptier positions at legacy European houses It encouraged casting directors to look beyond traditional markets and has inspired a new generation of models from South Asia

8 What was the broader context of the show being in Dakar
Chanels choice of Dakar Senegal was itself a