One of these models became a Chanel ambassador today. Following in the footsteps of Inès de la Fressange, Claudia Schiffer, Gisele Bündchen, the new girl will once again thank the New York subway for her discovery. A couple weeks later, Bhavitha Mandava walked the Bottega Veneta S/S 2025 show on September 21, 2024. She had only one more show on her dance card that season: Dior under Maria Grazia Chiuri on September 24, 2024.

By now you know that Bhavitha Mandava [below left in trio] was back on the New York subway, opening the Chanel Métiers d’Art Show show on December 2, 2025. And then, like a glorious, humanist priestess who has come to create a bit of joy in a world filled with heart ache, Bhavitha moved tightly into the world of Mattheiu Blazy’s Chanel.

There’s little doubt that Blazy agrees with Maria Grazia Chiuri that ‘Less I, More Us’ is a welcome perspective for luxury fashion designers in this turbulent moment.

“Since we met, Bhavitha has never ceased to amaze me. Smart, down-to-earth, she emanates a sense of deep joy. We are happy she will be part of this chapter with us at Chanel,” Blazy said in a statement announcing her new ambassador role.

Reading the news today, AOC realized that we hadn’t posted the Chanel Spring/Summer 2026 campaign. The entire model list besides Mandava includes Aditsa Berzenia, Awar Odhiang, Cathy Simmons, Josephen Akuel, Latahlia Hickling, Loli Bahia, Marta Freccia, Noor Khan, Waleska Gorczevski, and Xiuli Jiang.

American photographer Alec Soth [IG], who worked with Blazy at Bottega Veneta, shot the campaign at La Pausa, Gabrielle Chanel’s South of France villa.