She can drape a saree in over 125 ways and is in demand at weddings and other occasions all over the country. She helps brides stand apart even though they wear the same sari, but with a lot of difference in style.
Dolly Jain, the sari stylist and inventor of styles such as hip hop, tight fit, fish style Mumtaz, visited the city recently for a wedding exhibition conducted by marriage colours.com, a wedding website, and demonstrated to the audience, the ways to drape a saree and also spoke of the changing trends in saree draping. Speaking to City Express, Dolly shares some of her experiences and speaks about her memories.
Traditional Tamils
I have come down to Chennai a fair few times to drape sarees for weddings and now, the number of people who call me for the occasion has increased.
But, I still find them more traditional and they want to drape the saree the conventional way or by themselves. They don’t embrace different draping styles, and I get fewer offers compared to the North, where clients are addicted to new styles and are more willing to explore.
But I must say that they have begun to open up and the trend is slowly changing.
Kanchi customisations
When it comes to South Indian weddings in the city, a lot of brides wear silk sarees from Kancheepuram. Draping those fabrics around them is slightly tougher than the designer saris, because they are a lot heavier. Also, most of them tend to have pleats on their sarees. So even with such restrictions, there are a lot of customisations I can make.
For instance, I sometimes use two dupattas and drape them on a Kancheepuram sari – a style much different from the routine drapes. And as a result, the brides look presentable and they stand out from all the others wearing the same silk saris.
Memorable moments
So far, I have mostly come down to Chennai on professional visits and most of the time I have not had the time to explore the city. So, my memorable moments are in the weddings I attend. One such event was Preetha Reddy’s son’s wedding which happened a few months ago.
I had scope to explore my creativity and the wedding ceremony itself was a memorable experience. The women wore nice silk outfits and the marriage hall was beautifully decorated.
Bisi Bela Baths in Chennai
I am from Bengaluru and yet I love the Bisi Bela Baths from the city, especially the ones from ITC Grand Chola. I always make it a point to stay at the hotel each time I visit the city and I eat Bisi Bela Bath every time.
