This is an inspiring story of a saree stylist who learnt to speak English from her daughters. What started as a fluke, she is now a favourite of all the ambani ladies and several other Bollywood celebrities.
Draping a saree is not everyone’s cup of tea. It is nothing less than art to elegantly drape six-yards. But, this is the story of one self-made woman who turned her skills into a profession. Can anyone imagine saree styling as a profession in its own right? Not really, but this celebrity stylist proved how. Shattering societal norms, she carved her own niche in the industry. Today she has become a celebrity favourite when it comes to draping saree and lehengas. She also has a record to her name. She was awarded the Limca Book of World Records in 2019 for being the fastest saree draper in the world with a time of 18.5 seconds.
This is the story of a woman who completed her studies till grade 7 only due to certain familial challenges back in the day. But today she speaks in fluent English! In an interview, the saree stylist credited it to her daughters who helped her speak the language and improve her vocabulary too. This is the story of Dolly Jain.
Saree stylist discovered by Sridevi
With all the hardwork and talent, fate did its magic to propel Dolly in this direction. Did you know that it was upon Sridevi’s advise that Dolly pursued a career as a saree draper? Recalling her fleeting moment with the legendary actress, she said on an old interview, “My uncle is a film producer and at some event of his, I happened to see Sridevi. When I noticed that she had spilled something on her saree, I volunteered to help fix her saree just in the hope of spending some extra time with the actor. While I was doing the pleats of her saree, I caught her looking at my fingers transfixed. She then caught hold of my hand and told me that my fingers had some magic. Her words ‘Why don’t you take it up as a profession?’ changed my life and since then there has been no looking back.”
Inspiring story of the most famous celebrity stylist
Dolly Jain got married to Sorav Jain at the age of 21. She was only supposed to drape sarees every day after marriage and it was no cake walk earlier. “The first time I ever wore a saree was when my husband and his family had come to see me for the first time. Since then, there’s not been a single day when I have not worn a saree. The only difference is that earlier I used to drape a saree with an unhappy heart and later I embraced it as an extension of my personality.”
When she started put, she was taunted due to her career choice. But today, she has put all the struggles behind her and shines with utmost grace.
“When I realised the inevitable presence of saree in my life, I just trained my mind to embrace it wholeheartedly. I feel over the years I have been able to glamourise saree as a sartorial pick in my own way. No matter which party I go to – be it a pool party or a cocktail party – I invariably slip into a saree and sometimes pair it with a bralette blouse to dial up the glam appeal,” says Dolly.
Today, Dolly knows nearly 375 styles to drape a saree. According to several reports, Jain charges around Rs 30,000 to Rs 2 lakhs.
While she is a celebrity favourite, she once said that Deepika Padukone is her favourite celeb to style oing to her “warm” and “inviting” nature.
Dolly Jain was the lady behind the graceful lehenga and saree drapes of the ambani family during the grand wedding of Anant Ambani and Radhika Merchant in July . Nita Ambani, Isha Ambani, Radhika Merchant, Shloka Ambani, Deepika Padukone, Alia Bhatt, Sonam Kapoor, are just a few of her clients.
Dolly Jain’s story is a testimony of grit and determination and the need to have a self-belief.