Dr Dolly has earned herself a name in teaching Fashion Merchandising and continues to polish the creative side of her students. She believes fashion has the power to impact one’s mood and lifestyle.

Dr Dolly Mogra, who hails from Udaipur, Rajasthan is currently working as an Assistant Professor, Department of Readymade Garments, Mohanlal Sukhadia University. She has done her schooling from St Paul’s School and St Teresa Senior Secondary School. Thereafter she took admission in Home Science College after securing the first rank in a national level exam in Clothing and Textiles. Since then she has completed her Bachelors, Masters and PhD with flying colours and has been in the teaching profession since 1999.

Dolly shares that her journey in the initial stages of life was not easy and most of her time was spent commuting due to inadequate transport facilities in 1994. She substantiates it by saying that success doesn’t come easily to people and one needs to strive hard in order to be successful. Moreover, during those times there hardly used to be any government vacancies owing to which she ended up spending fifteen years working on a contractual basis and as a guest faculty.

Her academic department which has now been renamed as Department of Fashion Technology and Designing offers both diploma and degree courses in fashion merchandising and readymade garments making students skilled enough to open their own boutique. “The University has recently started Masters in Vocational Studies and has become the first in Rajasthan to do so”, shares Dr Dolly.

Talking about the recent initiatives taken by the government in the education sector, Dolly shares that there has been a shift to skill-based courses to boost employment opportunities and promote the idea of entrepreneurship in students.

Speaking about her perspective on fashion, Dolly shares that the field of fashion and textiles is the foundation of life and not merely what we hear in Bollywood. “The garment we carry has the ability to impact our mood and psychological state of mind and is equally important when compared to other necessities” she asserts.

Throwing some light on the employment opportunities fashion could offer, Dolly shares that after agriculture, the fashion industry ranks second in providing employment to people, be it skilled or unskilled. She also enlightens us by differentiating between a skilled and an unskilled person pertaining to this profession. According to her, the skilled are those who have attained valuable degrees from reputed institutions whereas the unskilled have obtained an informal education and are running their parental businesses like tailoring.

Dolly believes that people who have a creative side and a high imaginative power should go for Fashion since it is like a cycle that keeps on changing with the latest trend and creativity follows it.

Dolly’s role model is her mother who had strived hard to educate her along with her sisters at a time when girl education didn’t have much support from society. She gives all the credit to her mother for whatever she has become today.

Discussing COVID, Dolly shares that she had academic responsibilities along with training sessions to take. However, she and her students indulged in social work during the difficult days when the supply of masks was not adequate and ended up making a bulk of masks for distribution which is truly inspiring. Not just masks but her students also made a few PPE kits with their hands-on training, mentions Dolly. Feeding animals and visiting villages for the distribution of food also formed part of the initiative Dolly and her students were in.

Delving into her personal life, Dolly shares that women usually find it difficult to manage their personal and professional life. However, in her case, her family and in-laws have been super supportive. Speaking about her husband in particular, she shares that be it household chores, raising kids or taking care of parents, her husband has stood like a backbone owing to which she has been able to enjoy other aspects of her life.

Talking about her source of happiness and motivation, Dolly shares that she feels content and happy as a teacher when her students reach heights in their career be it the inauguration of a boutique or designing their own wedding dress. For Dolly, awards don’t matter but her students’ achievements and appreciation does.

In her free time, Dolly likes to help people in whatever way she can and treasures satisfaction after the completion of a pending task. In her message to the present generation, she says that since today’s youth are into social media networking, they should use their gadgets wisely. She urges them to work hard and reiterates the fact that there is no shortcut to success. Lastly, Dolly encourages the youth to indulge themselves in the bounties of nature but protect the environment in every possible manner.