Indian model Bhavitha Mandava's Met Gala debut in what appeared to be blue jeans has ignited one of the biggest fashion debates of this year's event. Social media users accused Chanel of underdressing its first Indian house ambassador, while others defended the look as conceptual couture tied to the theme.
The 26-year-old model arrived at the Metropolitan Museum of Art wearing a beige muslin half-zip sweater over a white muslin top and muslin printed trousers with a blue denim effect, designed by Chanel creative director Matthieu Blazy. Criticism began almost immediately, with users questioning why Mandava was styled in casual streetwear for her first appearance at fashion's biggest night.
Mandava, a Hyderabad-born former architecture student, was discovered while waiting for a subway train in Brooklyn in 2024. She opened Chanel's Métiers d'Art show in December 2025 in a similar outfit, referencing her discovery. Chanel said the Met Gala look required 250 hours to create, describing it as a 'Haute Couture reinterpretation' of that show outfit.
What appeared to be denim was actually silk muslin printed with a blue denim effect using trompe l'oeil techniques. Mandava told British Vogue: 'Turning it into something reimagined for the Met felt like carrying that memory forward, but in a more elevated way.' She has not directly addressed the backlash but reposted an Instagram Story praising the trompe l'oeil technique.
Many argued the backlash ignored the Met Gala theme 'Fashion Is Art', which focused on fashion as illusion and construction. The Independent has contacted Mandava's agency for comment.
