New Delhi: Model Bhavitha Mandava’s Met Gala debut has started a fashion civil war on the internet. Was it Chanel playing it painfully safe, or are we witnessing a full-blown cerulean-sweater moment straight out of The Devil Wears Prada? What looks basic to one beholder is genius to another.
Mandava walked the Met Gala 2026 carpet on 4 May not in fancy couture or high-drama theatrics, but in something almost rebellious in its simplicity: a jeans-and-top.
It was a sheer full-sleeved top layered over a white tank, classic blue jeans, and white heels, styled with minimal Chanel jewellery and soft glam makeup. The look, as Mandava explained at the red carpet, was “designed as a couture version” of what she wore the day she was first discovered on a New York subway by a scout for the luxury brand. It eventually led her to open the Chanel show at the Bowery station in December 2025, making this red-carpet appearance a full-circle moment. She was the first Indian woman to open a Chanel show.
But, the 26-year-old’s fashion outing stood in contrast to the night’s “Fashion Is Art” brief, instantly grabbing attention for being either way too understated or too underwhelming, depending on who you ask.
Also Read: The ‘Made in India’ carpet that defined Met Gala 2026–From Kerala to New York
‘Chanel did her dirty’
Social media split into two camps. One side argued that Chanel dropped the ball, and sent Mandava in a fit that felt too basic for fashion’s biggest night. The other half channelled their inner Miranda Priestly, explaining why this wasn’t just “jeans and a top,” but a carefully constructed statement with layers the untrained eye might miss.
“So sad… why did Chanel give Bhavita Mandava this for the Met Gala? Yeah this is Chanel and yeah this isn’t real denim. But she just blew up as a Chanel model, right? There were so many other dresses though,” bemoaned one post on X.
sedih bgt knp Chanel kasih Bhavita Mandava iniii buat Met Gala?
iya ini Chanel dan iyaaa ini bukan denim beneran. tapi dia kan baru heboh jadi model Chanel?
ada banyak dress lain padahal pic.twitter.com/6fvQxogYhj
— poppyseptia (@sloppypoppy) May 5, 2026
Some even labelled it as “microaggression” against an Indian model.
why did they send bhavitha to the met in jeans?? this feels like a microaggression pic.twitter.com/SBhW1qN19C
— ୨ৎ (@inejsghafaz) May 5, 2026
Another outraged observer said there were no excuses.
“I get that it’s a play on her first runway look but what are you playing at sending bhavitha mandava to the met in bloody jeans and a going out top.”
i get that it's a play on her first runway look but what are you playing at sending bhavitha mandava to the met in bloody jeans and a going out top 😭😭😭😭 pic.twitter.com/5sfJiwzHlV
— vish ⋆.ೃ࿔🌸*:･ (@ivishyouwould) May 5, 2026
Some said the outfit was so bad that they wouldn’t even wear it to get milk for a nearby shop. One even made a reel out of it, featuring the song ‘Dudh ki Dairy’ by Sagar Prajapati.
A social media fashion critic Sufi Motiwala called it a “garbage” outfit, and expressed his disappointment as Mandava was the first Indian to not only open for Chanel but also represent the brand in Met Gala.
Reacting to Motiwala’s post, a fan said, “Chanel did her dirty.”
Also Read: Mamdani skips Met Gala, reimagines fashion’s biggest night with worker shoot
Whose idea was Mandava’s look?
New York-based fashion writer Dylan Kelly in a video hit back at the social media criticism on Mandava’s Met Gala look, calling it a “direct reference” to the Chanel Métiers d’Art Subway Show where she made her fashion debut.
He also revealed that the beige muslin half zip top took “250 hours” to make.
Joining Kelly was fashion influencer Madé Lapuerta, who added that when Mandava opened for Chanel back in December in a similar outfit, it made it objectively a favourite collection, “around 30 per cent more popular than other brands” on average.
“So while her look may look simple to some, its really sewn with quite the story,” Kelly concluded.
Mandava herself responded with an “I love you both so much”, while others also agreed that no fashion crime had been committed.
“If you don’t understand the vision, thats on you. It was intentional to pay homage for her debut on the Chanel runway,” said one comment.
But other fashion aficionados were not so easily mollified.
“Beautiful story, still not well played,” noted one.
Mandava herself told British Vogue that it was she who shared the idea for her Met gala look with Chanel’s artistic director Matthieu Blazy.
“I had to pause when I saw the sketch, because that subway show was already one of the most significant nights of my career,” she told the magazine. “Turning it into something reimagined for the Met felt like carrying that memory forward, but in a more elevated way…”
(Edited by Asavari Singh)