Walking through subway stations is an everyday occurrence for NYC residents. Commuters need to quickly decide in seconds whether they need to take the L or the R. For Bhavitha Mandava, she chose Chanel.
Mandava was born in Hyderabad, India in 2000. She attended Jawaharlal Nehru Technological University, where she studied architecture. After earning her degree, she moved to New York City to pursue a Master of Science in Integrated Design & Media/Human Computer Interaction at New York University.
In 2024, she was scouted by Showin Bishop while waiting for her train in the subway station. Within two weeks, she was chosen to walk the runway as an exclusive model in the Bottega Venetta Spring/Summer 2025 show under the designer Matthieu Blazy. Additionally, she appeared in campaigns and advertisements for major fashion brands – like Christian Dior – and walked runways, all while completing her studies at NYU.
In December 2025, Mandava walked the Chanel runway showcasing the esteemed Métiers d’Art 2026 collection, making history as the first Indian model ever to open a Chanel show. The show took place in the exact setting she was discovered, the underground treasure of the New York City Subway Station.
She posted on Instagram following the show, expressing her gratitude and showing a video of her proud parents watching from their home in Hyderabad. “Can’t even express how much this means to me,” she captioned the post.
With every designer shoe she takes a step in, she opens the doors to the runway for Indian girls and women everywhere. Though walking runways in major cities around the world, she still makes time to study, serving as a positive influence and role model for people everywhere to look up to.
