Chanel has appointed Indian model Bhavitha Mandava as brand ambassador, the first Indian to hold the role in the brand’s history. Mandava, 26, from Hyderabad, holds an architecture degree with a master’s from New York University. She was scouted at a subway station and made her runway debut with Bottega Veneta before working with Dior and becoming a muse for creative director Matthieu Blazy. In December 2025, she became the first Indian model to open Chanel’s Métiers d’Art show in New York, and closed the Paris haute couture show in January 2026.

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