After making waves as the first Indian model to open Chanel’s Métiers d’Art show in New York in December 2025, Bhavitha Mandava is set to grace the cover of British Vogue for March 2026. Following Priyanka Chopra Jonas’ January 2023 cover, Bhavitha becomes the second Indian woman to hold this prestigious spotlight.
Set against a bright blue backdrop, Bhavitha stuns in a feathery Chanel jacket and skirt in vibrant shades of orange, yellow, and brown, paired with Chopard emerald earrings. Her windswept voluminous hair and radiant smile perfectly capture the rising model’s spirited presence as she poses confidently with hands on her hips.
The fashion world quickly celebrated her achievement. Bollywood stylist Rhea Kapoor called her a “supermodel!” while Victoria’s Secret model Neelam Kaur Gill commented, “This makes me so proud 🥹🤎 brown joy to the world!” Industry peers and fans alike poured in admiration on British Vogue’s Instagram post.
Bhavitha Mandava on Colourism and Beauty
In her cover interview, Mandava reflected on the cultural significance of her Chanel debut. “Opening the Chanel show was deeply personal to me, and then suddenly it became symbolic in a way I didn’t expect,” she said.
She addressed the issue of colourism in India: “In the West, it sparked a conversation about who is included in the idea of beauty and whether Indian women are considered traditionally beautiful. In India, colourism is deeply rooted. People said I looked like ‘any girl on the street’ because fair skin has often been treated as the default. It’s not really about me—it’s culture renegotiating itself.”
Who Is Bhavitha Mandava?
Bhavitha hails from Hyderabad, where she studied architecture at Jawaharlal Nehru Technological University. She later moved to New York to pursue a Master of Science in Integrated Design & Media/Human-Computer Interaction at New York University, graduating in 2025.
Her modelling career began unexpectedly when she was scouted for Bottega Veneta’s Spring/Summer 2025 show while waiting for the subway at Atlantic Avenue station. When artistic director Matthieu Blazy moved to Chanel, Bhavitha followed—opening the Métiers d’Art show in New York and closing his first haute couture show at Paris Couture Week in January 2026.
A Historic British Vogue Cover
While Bhavitha is not the first brown woman on British Vogue—figures like Malala Yousafzai, Priyanka Chopra Jonas, Jameela Jamil, Saffron Vadher, and Simone Ashley have been featured—her solo cover lead feels historically significant. Mandava represents a cultural shift that is redefining beauty standards in fashion, giving visibility to Indian and brown models in spaces long dominated by narrow ideals.
