Sidewalk Style: Bright Lights, Big Jewelry

Valli Ravindran, 28
Creative director, PBS

What she’s wearing:
Metallic flats and top from Urban Outfitters, skinny jeans from Armani, Forever 21 necklace.

How would you describe your style?
“Eclectic. I come from India, so I’m exposed to a lot of Indian designers. I like a little bit of funky design. I’m not afraid of colors. I like big, bright jewelry. In my office, many people ask me, ‘How many kinds of jewelry do you have?’ If I’m wearing something plain, I wear some really patterned, big jewelry. If I’m wearing textured or patterned clothes, I try to wear minimal jewelry.”

Where do you shop?
“Online at Asos.com. It’s a company from the United Kingdom. They have a lot of up-and-coming designers, or they model the clothes of celebrities. So if you buy something, it’ll show you how Katie Holmes wore it. I’m a designer, so I like the look of it, too. In Washington, I go to Urban Outfitters, and I like Fresh next to Georgetown Cupcake. All of my jeans are from G-Star Raw. The fit is amazing—their destroyed jeans are awesome, and I think their short jackets are so cool. I think I’m fascinated by UK fashion.”

You mentioned Indian designers. Whose work do you like?
“Manish Malhotra. He does a lot of heavy work. My wedding gown was his.”

When you visit India, what do you buy?
“I’m fascinated by the colors. I bring back a lot of jewelry and saris, which you usually wear only for Indian functions, but I just love them, so I get them. I also get Indian fabrics to make into something. I love getting fabric with heavy work and making it into a cocktail dress.”

Rachel says:
This is a cute everyday work look. The necklace is what takes it to the next level, and it was easily the least expensive element. Bang for the buck: That’s what we should all be focused on now.