Name: Kalpana Mohanty
School, Year: Barnard, Junior
Major: Double major in English and History
Hometown: New Delhi, India
What is your most worn accessory and/or article of clothing?
A stripy Breton shirt from Zara that goes with everything.
Where do you like to shop?
A mix of highstreets brands like Zara and Massimo Dutti, along with stuff from outdoor markets in India.
Where do you get your fashion inspiration from?
I’m really inspired by menswear (ie. well-tailored shirts, blazers etc). I think at this point I own 6 different blazers. But on the opposite end of the spectrum, I’m really inspired by the clothing I see when I’m back in India, which is much more colorful, flowing and ornamental.
How has your style changed since coming to Columbia/Barnard?
I think in high school I exclusively wore ballet flats and now I exclusively wear sneakers, which is more of a utility thing than anything, especially in New York where walking is the main form of transportation. I’ve also developed a new found love of neutral colors. When you have a tiny closet in college you can’t have the same range of clothes as at home, which means it’s super useful if everything can more or less be thrown on together.
more or less be thrown on together.