Profile

Peruvian boutique owner Elena Ramos-Velita unveiled this sleek womenswear shop in June 2009, juggling decorating and production decisions with her day job as a consultant at Citigroup. Fittingly, the modern, white-on-white space is geared toward professional women, with small bouquets of flowers and Danish antique furniture providing understated accents. Ramos-Velita creates high-quality basics in Italian fabrics that span staff meetings to happy hour: draped cashmere and modal-blend tops, high-collar cotton button-downs, wrap dresses, shapely tulip skirts, and lightweight blazers. Some of the most popular items are also the most versatile, like a fitted blazer that doubles as a shirt, or sheer button-downs in various shades. — Lauren Murrow