Top 10 female runway models 2026: Bhavitha Mandava and more

Chanel Creative Director Matthieu Blazy staged the house_s annual Métiers d_Art show in a disused New York subway station. At the start of the show_ a lone figure descended the stairs onto the platform: it was Bhavitha Mandava_ a recent NYU graduate from India.

In a fitting twist_ Mandava was discovered just over a year ago on the platform of a Brooklyn subway station and has since become something of a muse for Blazy—first at Bottega Veneta and now at Chanel.

Recently profiled by The New York Times and boasting an Instagram following of more than 400_000_ she is poised for a standout year ahead. Expect to see much more of her in 2026.

Here are the ten female models who walked the most major shows in 2025—and who we anticipate will continue to dominate the runways in 2026.

Betsy Gaghan

Nationality: American
Agency: Next New York
IG Handle: betsygaghan
IG Followers: 14.4K
2025 Runways Walked: 74

Hejia Li

Nationality: Chinese
Agency: esee model mgmnt_ Shanghai
IG Handle: hejialiiiii
IG Followers: 5K
2025 Runways Walked: 70

Sara Caballero

Nationality: Chilean/Spanish
Agency: Elite Paris
IG Handle: saaracaballero
IG Followers: 12.5K
2025 Runways Walked: 68

Awar Odhiang

Nationality: Canadian
Agency: Mode Models Calgary
IG Handle: awarodhiang
IG Followers: 57.3K
2025 Runways Walked: 67

Luiza Perote

Nationality: Brazilian
Agency: Evol Mngmnt São Paulo
IG Handle: luizaperotee
IG Followers: 104K
2025 Runways Walked: 63

Penelope Ternes

Nationality: German
Agency: Women Mngmnt_ New York
IG Handle: penelope.ternes
IG Followers: 11.6K
2025 Runways Walked: 33

Lulu Tenney

Nationality: American
Agency: Lumien Creative_ New York
IG Handle: lulutenney
IG Followers: 79K
2025 Runways Walked: 33

Agel Akol

Nationality: Canadian
Agency: the Nobles Mngmnt Calgary
IG Handle: agellyva
IG Followers: 3K
2025 Runways Walked: 32

Athiec Geng

Nationality: South Sudanese
Agency: Fusion Models_ New York
IG Handle: athiec_geng
IG Followers: 4K
2025 Runways Walked: 32

Sascha Rajasalu

Nationality: Swedish/Estonian
Agency: MIKAs Stockholm
IG Handle: Sascha._.alexandra
IG Followers: 12K
2025 Runways Walked: 32