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Subway Scout to Chanel Star: Bhavitha's Rise
19 Dec
Summary
- Discovered on a subway, she debuted for Bottega Veneta in 2024.
- Bhavitha balanced NYU studies with international modeling.
- She became the first Indian model to open a Chanel show.
Bhavitha Mandava, an Indian model and product designer, has rapidly ascended from a New York subway platform to prestigious fashion runways. Her journey began after being scouted two weeks before the Bottega Veneta Spring/Summer 2025 shows in September 2024, leading to her debut walk. Despite the initial focus on her studies at NYU, where she pursued Integrated Design and Media, Mandava successfully balanced her academic commitments with her burgeoning modeling career.
Mandava's career quickly gained momentum, with subsequent appearances for Christian Dior's Spring/Summer 2025 collection. A significant turning point came when designer Matthieu Blazy, whom she met at Bottega Veneta, transitioned to CHANEL. Mandava joined him, walking in his debut Spring/Summer 2026 show for CHANEL in December 2024. This marked the beginning of a notable creative partnership, highlighting her growing influence in the fashion world.
This professional relationship reached a pinnacle during CHANEL's Métiers d'Art show in December 2024, held in a New York subway station. Mandava made history as the first Indian model to open a CHANEL show, a poignant callback to her own discovery. Having graduated from NYU in May 2025 with two degrees, her story embodies a remarkable fusion of academic achievement and groundbreaking success in international fashion.
