Lifestyle
From Neeta Ambani, Radhika Merchant, and Deepika Padukone to Gigi Hadid, she is draping sarees for top stars
Updated : Mar 05, 2024, 07:33 AM IST
India is known for its diverse cultures and traditions. The saree, an ancient Indian textile that has been a part of Indian culture for generations, is among the most important components of our nation's culture.
The Indian sari, with its over 5,000-year history, is considered one of the oldest still-in-use types of apparel in the world.
But would you pay someone Rs 2 lakhs to drape your saree?
Well, meet Dolly Jain! who charges Rs 35000 to 2 lakh to drape a saree.
Dolly Jain boasts of a clientele that includes Neeta Ambani, Isha Ambani, Shloka Mehta, Radhika Merchant, Sonam Kapoor, Priyanka Chopra, Katrina Kaif, Deepika Padukone, former Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Late Jayalalithaa, late Sridevi and Natasha Poonawala’s shimmery golden saree at the Met Gala 2022, among others.
Dolly Jain was born in Bengaluru and was fascinated with her mother's sarees. But since she was 'only allowed to wear sarees,' she didn't become interested in draping them until after getting married and moving to Kolkata.
Since that was the only garment she was allowed to wear, she began to regularly drape her saree in a new way, and people admired the way she carried her saree.
In 2011, Dolly Jain became the fastest saree draper (18.5 seconds) and entered the Book of World Records. She decided to pursue her art as a career at that point. Her loved ones, nevertheless, dismissed her with laughter. She approached Limca Records, but they did not take her seriously, despite her father's support. In a previous interview, Dolly Jain had stated, "I sent them a CD, they came to Kolkata, and I received my first certificate from Limca Records."
In addition to teaching other women a range of draping techniques, she was requested to assist brides in draping their wedding sarees. She was introduced to famous clients by designer Sandeep Khosla, and she ultimately decided to make it her career.
Dolly Jain has become an expert at draping sarees and dupattas in a variety of designs over the years, from Hyderabadi to Gujarati, Rajasthani to Assamese, and Lehenga to more modern looks. She is also said to be the only person who can drape a saree in 357 distinct ways.
She now works as a celebrity saree draper and has styled just about every top Bollywood bride as well as the famous international supermodel Gigi Hadid. She also draped Mukesh Ambani and Neeta Ambani's bahu-to-be Radhika Merchant on her pre-wedding events. She also draped for Deepika Padukone for the event.
According to multiple reports, Dolly charges anywhere between Rs 35,000 to Rs 2 lakh per saree.