I remember catching the pilot episode of The Mindy Project by accident when it first aired. It played right after New Girl, with which my high school-aged self was obsessed. I vividly recall watching a drunk Mindy drive a stolen bike into a swimming pool, all while wearing the most fabulous teal sequin minidress. I was hooked immediately. Mindy was not only an absolute gem to watch onscreen with her clever quips and all-around ridiculousness. But, it was probably the first time I’d seen a show focused around a woman of color who wasn’t the traditional sample size.

I can’t believe it’s taken me this long to include Mindy Lahiri in this segment. Mindy Lahiri has been a style icon, and so much more to me, from the very beginning.