25-year-old Indian model who opened Chanel 2026 show shares her parents' emotional reaction: Watch

Bhavitha Mandava, a 25-year-old model from India, made waves by opening Chanel's Métiers d’art 2026 collection in NYC. Here's how her parents' reacted.

25-year-old model Bhavitha Mandava has become the talk of the town after she opened Chanel's Métiers d’art 2026 collection by Matthieu Blazy in New York City. Born and raised in Hyderabad, India, she is an architect who moved to the US to study assistive technology at NYU in New York City.

Bhavitha Mandava is an Indian model who just opened Chanel's 2026 show.

On December 3, Bhavitha shared an emotional video of her parents' reaction to her opening the Chanel show. She posted the clip with the caption, “Can’t put into words how much this means to me. Thank you @chanelofficial @matthieu_blazy.”

Bhavitha's parents react to her walking for Chanel

The video shows Bhavitha's mother and father watching her walk down the stairs of the Bowery Station in New York, enter the subway, and then open the show for Matthieu. Her mom, in joyful tears, can be seen excitedly repeating her daughter's name, as her father proudly watches the show.

Bhavitha Mandava's story

According to models.com, Bhavitha was scouted at a subway station just two weeks before the Spring/Summer 2025 season. Viren H Shah, a fashion influencer, revealed in a December 4 Instagram video that it was Matthieu who first casted her in his show, and she made her debut as a Bottega Vanetta exclusive.

Viren shares in the clip, “She was discovered in the most ordinary of places, a New York City subway. And yesterday she just opened the Chanel Métiers d’art show in New York City in a train station.”

“2 weeks after being scouted, she debuts as a Bottega Vanetta exclusive under creative director Matthieu Blazy…She also did a campaign with him. And basically at this point, you know, she has met Matthieu. He has changed her life, giving her opportunities that she's dreamed of,” he added.

According to Viren, when Matthieu went to Chanel, Bhavitha walked for his Spring '26 runway show, his debut collection. “Now, in the most poetic full circle moment, Bhavitha opens Matthieu Blazy's second Chanel collection in New York City in the subway station where it all started,” he revealed.