Indian model Bhavitha Mandava walked her first Met Gala as a Chanel ambassador in a white tank top, faded blue denim and a sheer zip-up.
The House of Chanel confirmed that the look was a Haute Couture reinterpretation of the outfit Mandava wore to open the brand’s Métiers d’Art show in New York last December, a reference to the city where she was first scouted. The piece took 250 hours to make.
The look sparked a debate on X, with users split between those who took issue with the outfit and those who defended the idea behind it.
Much of the criticism landed on Chanel. “Met gala debut in jeans is crazy…..chanel you are going to hell,” one user wrote. Another remarked: “they really sent her to the most photographed event on earth looking like she’s about to pick up her kid from school”.
Several posts pointed to her status within the house: “She’s a Chanel ambassador and this is her first met gala!??? Who’s responsible I just wanna talk.” Others echoed the same line. “They set her up so bad like idgaf if it’s a reference she deserves better!!!!” and “I’m sorry wdym they sent her to the met gala in a blouse and jeans”.
A section of users pushed back on the criticism, arguing that the look carried meaning that the detractors were missing. One user brought up the origin story behind the ensemble, noting it was a recreation of the outfit Mandava had on when she was discovered on the New York subway: “It’s the Chanel version of the outfit she was wearing on the subway when she got discovered. It’s an homage to where she came from. Taking where you come from and transforming it”.
Another rejected the idea that Mandava had no say in the matter: “Y’all are acting like they had a gun to her head forcing her to wear this. She had a say. She chose to wear this”.
There were also those who took a wider view of what the look represented. One user argued it would be remembered longer than most outfits from the night, precisely because of what it set out to do: “I feel like this will last in our cultural memory longer than most met gala pieces, to say nothing of the craftsmanship it took for this piece. I think the point of it is costumed plainness, a kind of put-on carelessness”.
That argument found little traction with users who felt the execution fell flat regardless of intent. One dismissed the 250-hour craftsmanship entirely: “Right like I don’t care if the ‘jeans’ are made out of recycled dragonfly spit, it’s still a boring outfit”.
Another went after those objecting to the look on principle, arguing the Met Gala was not the place for that debate: “What a clownish thing to say! MET Gala is about fashion and art showcase. Don’t like it or want to play the part, stay at home and don’t be a spoil sport”.
Some users shifted focus to Mandava herself, with posts expressing that she looked out of place among the other attendees. “I can’t imagine how uncomfortable she must have felt watching everyone else,” one user wrote. Another noted her expression on the carpet: “She looks so sad as well.”
One person, however, read the outfit as a calculated move on Mandava’s part rather than a misstep: “She is also screaming for attention with that outfit, ‘look i am so simply dressed and you guys are overdoing it”.
Not all reactions were serious. One comment drew a simpler parallel: “Me showing up to work just to show my face for an hour”.
