Hyderabad’s Bhavitha Mandava Makes Dazzling Paris Runway Debut for Chanel

Hyderabad: When 22-year-old Bhavitha Mandava stepped onto the Chanel Spring/Summer 2026 runway in Paris on Monday, it marked a defining moment—not just for global fashion, but for a young woman whose life, until recently, revolved around architecture studios and tech labs rather than couture lights.

Far removed from the typical model discovery story, Bhavitha’s journey began in Hyderabad, where she grew up sketching building plans and imagining cityscapes. After completing her architecture studies, she moved to New York to pursue assistive technology at NYU. Fashion was nowhere on the horizon.

That changed in an instant.

During a routine evening commute on a New York subway station, Bhavitha was spotted by Showin Bishop, founder of 28Models. Within two weeks, she was booked as an exclusive for Bottega Veneta’s Spring/Summer 2025 show—a debut that set the fashion industry buzzing. From that moment on, she became one of the most closely watched new faces on the runways.

On the agency’s official website, Bishop recounts the moment he first saw her: “I knew from the start. She had that rare energy—effortless, striking, and elegant in a way that couldn’t be taught.”

Bhavitha’s appearance at Chanel this season cements her status as India’s latest breakout star in global fashion.

With a story that blends serendipity, talent, and quiet determination, the Hyderabad native is quickly shaping into one of the most compelling new voices in the modelling world.