This Indian model walked the Chanel SS26 show this week. And here's her tell-all

In perhaps one of the most talked-about debuts in recent fashion history, Matthieu Blazy showed his first collection for Chanel at Paris Fashion Week earlier this month. That an Indian model walked for the house during such a defining moment felt significant in more ways than one. When Bhavitha Mandava talks about that experience, she does it with disarming honesty. She talks about being nervous, still a little stunned by how far she's come from her middle-class roots in India to one of fashion's most iconic runways. In this conversation with Harper's Bazaar, Mandava opens up about the nerves, the magic of the room, and the people who've seen her through it all.

Harper’s Bazaar: Walking Chanel for Matthieu Blazy's debut must have felt surreal. What was the atmosphere like backstage, knowing you were part of something so historic for the brand?

Bhavitha Mandava: I’ll be honest, I was nervous. When I first started modelling, I didn’t know much about the brands I worked with, even though they were major names in fashion. I grew up middle-class in India, so this world was completely new to me. Back then, I could stay calm by telling myself, I’ve done harder things in life. But Chanel felt different. I had known the brand long before I entered the industry. Walking into the show was an unforgettable, purely magical experience. Right after the show, everyone backstage shared an emotional moment—with lots of hugs and a few tears.

HB: Chanel has always been synonymous with luxury and tradition. How did Blazy’s vision feel like a departure from that, or did it maintain the essence of the house?

BV: Chanel has always represented timeless elegance, but Matthieu brought a new kind of depth and emotion to it. It still felt very much like Chanel, with the craftsmanship, the codes, and the poetry, but through his lens, it became more personal and more human. There was warmth and subtle rebellion in how he honoured Coco’s symbols while reimagining them for today. He is a man who truly loves designing for the women of today, and it shows.

HB: As an Indian model on such a global stage, how do you balance representing yourself and your culture while embodying the vision of a designer like Matthieu Blazy at a show of this magnitude? 

BV: Working with Matthieu at both Bottega Veneta and now Chanel, I’ve always felt seen and valued for who I am. Matthieu and casting director Anita Bitton consistently create one of the most inclusive and thoughtful casts in the industry. I never felt like I had to fit into a mould. I could bring my own story and energy to the runway. Anita Bitton has dedicated her life to inclusion, and I truly appreciate that I was able to represent India in her cast.

HB: From all the shows you’ve done, is there one specific moment during Chanel that stood out to you, a detail or gesture that captured the spirit of the show?

BV: I remember during fittings, seeing my look for the first time: a black dress embroidered with golden wheat stalks. I was immediately drawn to it and asked about its meaning. I learned that wheat has deep roots in Chanel’s story. Coco Chanel grew up surrounded by it, and Salvador Dalí once gifted her a painting of wheat symbolising prosperity. Since then, it has become a recurring motif in the house’s embroidery, knits, and jewellery. Wearing that history felt powerful, like I was part of something far bigger than myself.

HB: After walking a show of this calibre, who’s the first person you want to share the moment with? Is there someone who’s been part of your journey from the beginning?

BV: Always my family. They’ve supported me unconditionally, even when none of us really understood what modelling entailed. I still remember calling my dad after my first ever show, completely stunned, trying to explain the world I had just stepped into.

 

Lead image: Getty

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