From simplicity to royalty, Dolly Jain, the skilled drape expert has it all to her credit. She has developed a unique style of her own, reflecting the ancient traditions of India in a contemporary vocabulary. The saree drape artist's understanding of designs and the innovative use of her skill has created a new classicism.
“SIX YARDS OF PURE MAGIC AND ELEGANCE”
Dolly Jain is a name synonymous with Saree Draping. She has been credited to revolutionize the world of saree lovers. With an immense expertise to play with the ‘6-yard long cloth’ , she has brought smiles on the faces of women all over the world. This ability of hers to inject a personal candour into her work is what sets her a few leagues apart from most other drape artists in the country. Highly personable, with a great eye for style, Dolly’s work was featured in the Limca Book of Records, Asia book of Records, World record, Coca-Cola awards and many others.
She was born on December 6, 1974 in Ranchi & brought up in Bangalore. But later she shifted to Kolkatta and settled there. During tender age, she would dress up her dolls in the most exclusive ways. She would think of innovative ideas to style her dolls from the rags her mother used to give her.
Almost every Indian household has witnessed the wonder of kids wrapped in the mother’s saree and acting like a grown-up woman. Dolly was no different. She liked covering her head with the pallu just like her mother and later, would ask her mother if she managed to look as pretty as her. She would dance and pose in front of the mirror while her family enjoyed clicking her amusing pictures.
When Dolly Jain got married, she was only allowed to wear sarees. To keep things different and exciting, she started to drape her saree differently on a regular basis. The homemaker was always complimented for the way she dressed and wore her sarees. She could give any saree a modern twist. Dolly began her work as a hobby in Calcutta more than a decade ago. This hobby gradually paved way for various creative contemporary silhouettes she churns out today. This facet of styling has made her work particularly relevant in the Indian fashion milieu.
The versatile drape artist is recognised internationally for her work as a personal stylist for high profile clients. Her niche clientele includes an impressive list of celebs from the Indian film industry such as Deepika Padukone, Alia Bhatt, Anushka Sharma, Priyanka Chopra, Sonam Kapoor and many more. She also takes pride in dressing up members from prominent Industrial families such as Neeta Ambani, Isha Ambani Parimal, Shloka Ambani Mehta, Usha Mittal and Sangeeta Jindal. She has also worked internationally in places like Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Oman, Qatar, Singapore and Paris with campaigns and special projects. Her repertoire now includes personal styling and celebrity dressing.
The expert saree stylist has also created her own YouTube vlog series on saree draping. “Seasons change, fashion evolves. It keeps you on your toes. You always have to be predicting what is next and being aware of what the current trends are. I am distracted easily, so I’m lucky to have a job that I’m not bored of”, says Dolly Jain.
Over the years, she mastered the skill of draping a saree in different styles - ranging from Gujarati to Hyderabadi, Rajasthani to Assamese, Lehenga style to a more contemporary style.
“The Drapes In a Saree Are The Most Important Thing”
Though saree has always been a woman’s favourite garment but it has made a comeback in the recent times in a big way. Apart from gowns and dresses, the urban woman are experiment with contemporary drapes for party and bachelor nights. Women these days are seen wearing and adorning sarees, styling themselves in different styles. She feels happy that she could play a big role in making women love saree back again.
In her experience, Dolly noticed that most women have a misconception that a saree limits their mobility. But the key, she finds, is effective draping. And that is exactly what she sets out to accomplish in the form of her first coffee table book - '365 ways to drape a saree'. Whether its for a ritual ceremony or a cocktail party, Dolly's step-by-step recipes for saree draping are designed to be foolproof for anyone who wants to shine in a gorgeous saree!
Dolly explains, “My book will have details about draping a saree in 365 ways, giving women a new draping style for each day of the year. The idea behind this book is to remind women that draping a saree is not a feat and can be achieved easily. I am very proud and happy to pass on my talent and expertise to the modern day women.”