Bhavitha Mandava became the first House Ambassador for the highly esteemed French luxury fashion brand Chanel, and thus she has made a mark in history as well as creating a milestone for Indian representation in luxury fashion around the world where Europeans and others from Western nations have been the “traditional” faces of the fashion industry.
The hiring of Bhavitha Mandava as the Chanel House Ambassador demonstrates how much the Chanel brand values the expanding importance of India’s presence in International Fashion. Bhavitha Mandava’s future with the Chanel brand is also a continued example of Chanel’s commitment to changing the industry by being more diverse and inclusive both on the runway and with their advertising campaigns.
Race to the Top – Historic first for India
Bhavitha Mandava’s rising success in the fashion world has occurred at an extraordinary pace. Originally from Hyderabad, India, where she attended an architectural school, she moved to the United States to pursue her studies at NYU. After moving to New York City, she was approached by a talent scout to be a model and thus Bhavitha Mandava became a model.
Although she arrived in New York to study and to fulfil her passion, Bhavitha Mandava quickly moved from being a student to modelling on some of the most prestigious runways in the world. Eventually, Bhavitha Mandava modelled for several luxury brands, which ultimately brought her to the attention of Chanel’s Creative Team.
Her road to success can sometimes be described as lucky and at the same time her beauty, incredible appearance on the runway and modelling abilities started making her a success with her being one of the newest stars in the industry.
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Close Association With Chanel
Mandava first worked with Chanel by walking in Matthieu Blazy’s runway show for the brand. Later she accomplished another historical accomplishment by becoming the first Indian model to open a Chanel show in New York City during the Métiers d’Art showing.
This was celebrated on a worldwide scale in the Fashion Industry as well as via social media. Opening a Chanel show – that is one of the greatest POSSIBLE honours in fashion – aligned her with being an important person to the brand.
Mandava had the ability to close the Chanel haute couture presentation in Paris in the wedding dress which is the highest level of honour in regards to a runway showing, thereby continuing the building of connections to the house for her.
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Mandava on Being a Chanel House Ambassador
Mandava shared how excited she was about being a member of Chanel by way of being a House Ambassador. She speaks of Chanel being the definition of the ‘new working women who move and shake’ and she further suggests this philosophy aligns perfectly with her own personal experience and journey.
Matthieu Blazy is to be commended for his imaginative direction. His creative vision brings together two very important qualities, joy and innovation, while remaining true to the heritage of Chanel.
The model has expressed the immense sense of pride she feels as a representative of Chanel during a period of greater inclusivity and diversity around the world in the fashion world.
Celebrating an Indian Moment of Representation
Bhavitha’s appointment is being celebrated as an important milestone in the representation of India at the global luxury level. South Asians have been underrepresented in high-profile positions for decades in terms of brand ambassador, runway starter, etc. and this opportunity will increase the visibility of Indian talent on the world stage and help pave the way for other models to follow from India and become a part of the global luxury fashion landscape.
With her new role at Chanel, Bhavitha Mandava not only continues to grow her own career, but she is also a symbol of the changing nature of the fashion industry toward greater amounts of diversity and international representation.
