Bhavitha Mandava has just become one of the 25 winners of the 2026 Instagram Rings Award, an award that celebrates creators who aren’t afraid to take creative chances, establish cultural shifts and spark positive conversation and change in their fields. This comes on the heels of her breakout year in the world of fashion, all of which started when she was scouted at the Atlantic Avenue subway station in Brooklyn, New York, while heading out for a bite of biryani. Since then, she has captured international attention, especially for her role as the opener for Chanel’s Métiers d’Art 2026 New York show. However, beyond her many achievements, one of the most compelling aspects of Mandava’s journey is her Indian heritage.
Indian representation on the global modeling stage is still rather nascent, which is why there is something particularly significant about the conversation surrounding Mandava. Undoubtedly, part of this stems from her being the first Indian model to open a fashion show for Chanel. With being the first comes the opportunity to pave the way for others, and the hope that such milestones will become increasingly commonplace. But what might this mean for the next generation? Mandava herself offers a thoughtful perspective: “Young girls might look at my story as an example and think their dreams will come true in the US. In reality it’s really, really difficult. The Cinderella story sells, but that’s not the reality.”
Mandava’s journey invites us to think about the perception of beauty across cultures. India’s beauty industry has its own complex history, which includes a colonial-era penchant for lighter skin. At the same time, Mandava’s international fame highlights the importance of upending conventional ideas of beauty. Her journey also raises an important question: how can the industry ensure that recognition translates into lasting opportunities for more Indian talent?
This is not to diminish the pride that Mandava’s success rightly deserves. Fashion houses like Chanel have historically been associated with Eurocentric ideals of beauty, making these milestones particularly meaningful. One of the most notable cases in the industry is the 2007 L’Oreal “BBR” controversy. A fax from the company became public, describing the kind of women that the company executives wanted to recruit – between the ages of 18-22, size 38-42, and “BBR”, shorthand used to refer to white French people.
Even so, the tides seem to be turning. In 2021, L’Oréal Paris appointed Nidhi Sunil as its first Indian model brand ambassador, and model, artist, and activist Amrit became the first Indian talent to front a global fragrance campaign for Chloé’s Eau de Parfum Intense. Mandava herself has gone on to become a Chanel House Ambassador, a groundbreaking achievement in itself.
Recent conversations around Calvin Klein’s “Feel The Fit” campaign, for instance, have highlighted how much public expectations around representation have changed. The campaign’s casting of conventionally attractive actress Sadie Sink prompted comparisons with the brand’s 2019 #MyCalvins campaign featuring Black plus-size rapper Chika Oranika. Such discussions, alongside wider conversations about representation in campaigns by Gucci, American Eagle and Swatch, demonstrate the importance of continuing to question the industry’s jaded ideas of beauty.
This brings us to an important question: can Mandava’s success be replicated? The answer lies in the opportunities the industry creates beyond individual success stories. There are more Indian faces on the global stage today than ever before, from models like Dhyani Kandagama and Bhoomi Yadav to actresses like Simone Ashley and Maitreyi Ramakrishnan. And regardless of the Ozempic epidemic, body positivity is here to stay. Yet, how do we ensure that these developments translate into sustained change, creating space for another Mandava, and another, and another?
Perhaps the most important step is to move beyond celebrating Mandava solely for her Indian identity and recognize her talent, individuality and achievements as a model. Representation matters, but it should also open the door to a world where identity is not the defining feature of someone’s success. “Indian” and “plus-sized” are not categories that can fully capture a person’s identity or potential. There are individuals, talents and stories beyond these labels, and recognizing them is how the fashion industry can continue to move forward.
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