Meet Mona Bhujel, Bengaluru's latest face on the Chanel runway

Mona Bhujel was sitting in a cab, on her way to meet a friend, when her phone rang. On the other end was her manager, sounding unusually excited. The news? She had booked Chanel.For a moment, Bhujel simply sat there, taking it all in. Years of castings, uncertainty and hard work had led to this call. And now, she was about to walk for one of the most recognisable names in fashion.“It feels a little surreal working for Chanel. I was literally really grateful to be there and experience it,” the Bengaluru-born model told India Today Digital. From the backstage buzz to the moment she stepped onto the runway, the experience was one she knew she would remember.On October 5, Bhujel walked Matthieu Blazy’s Spring/Summer 2027 ready-to-wear show for Chanel at the Grand Palais in Paris. She wore a sheer black blouse with spaghetti straps, gathered detailing and a floral embellishment across the bust, paired with a gingham skirt and matching jacket. A leather belt, Chanel handbag and booties completed the look. She wasn’t the only Indian face on the coveted runway. Supermodel Lakshmi Menon was there, too, along with Bhavitha Mandava, who stumbled into modelling and has since become one of the industry’s most prominent names. Mandava is also a house ambassador for Chanel.Like Mandava, modelling was never part of the plan for Mona Bhujel either. Bhujel was born and raised in Bengaluru, where she went to school before studying fashion design. She was always drawn to creative pursuits, but she did not set out to become a model. That decision was made, in a way, for her.Amrita Masani, founder of Faze Management Pvt Ltd, the agency that scouted Bhujel, remembers discovering her in Bengaluru in 2020. The timing was hardly ideal. Soon after, the Covid-19 pandemic brought the world to a standstill.“We spent that time in grooming and getting test shoots,” Masani said. Bhujel, she recalled, was an absolute natural.When things began opening up again, her career took off. Her professionalism and hard work won clients over, and an international career soon followed.In 2022, Bhujel signed with international agencies, setting the stage for her first major runway moment. That same year, she made her Milan Fashion Week debut walking for Bottega Veneta at its Spring/Summer 2023 show. Mona Bhujel for Bottega Veneta at Milan Fashion Week in 2022. (Photo: Instagram/monabhujel) For someone who had entered the industry unexpectedly, it was a significant turn of events. And it was only the beginning.From Bottega Veneta to ChanelBhujel has built her portfolio across international fashion houses and Indian designers. Her work includes labels such as Chopard, Bottega Veneta and Diesel. She has also been a muse for Shubhika’s Papa Don't Preach, Gaurav Gupta and Anamika Khanna's AK-OK for shoots. Mona Bhujel poses for a Chopard shoot in Cannes. (Photo: Instagram/monabhujel) She has shared the frame with Deepika Padukone in a campaign for the actor's line with Levi's, too.Bhujel describes modelling as something that gradually grew on her. Initially hesitant about pursuing it professionally, she found herself enjoying the work, the travel and the people she met along the way.“It’s definitely pushed me out of my comfort zone, but I have grown so much through it, and I genuinely love what I do,” she said.The Chanel booking, however, came with its own significance. After years of building a career one opportunity at a time, she saw it as a reminder that the work was paying off.What life behind the runway looks likeThe glamour of fashion weeks can make modelling seem like a constant stream of dream bookings, beautiful clothes and international travel. The reality, Bhujel says, is a little more ordinary.A good day is one spent on set or at a show, when everything comes together and she enjoys what she is doing. A bad day? Getting stuck in traffic or dealing with bad weather.There are also the castings, the waiting and the inevitable rejections that come with the job. For anyone hoping to follow a similar path, Bhujel's advice is simple: stay disciplined, look after yourself and learn to handle rejection.She also believes the global fashion industry is becoming more receptive to Indian talent.“I think the world is becoming more curious about Indian talent, culture, and individuality. There's so much talent coming from India, and I think international fashion is finally starting to recognise it,” she said.Well, that's a fact.- Ends