Former AI student Dolly Mirpuri tells us how she embarked on a career in fashion.

Few weeks after her graduation from AI, following three interviews and a couple stressful weeks of waiting, Dolly found herself working for Japanese fashion label Vifille and Lyve Societe Anonyme.

Born and raised in Thailand, Dolly is far from your typical local girl.

?People are like, What? You’re Thai? Get outta here!? Dolly says in a distinctly American accent she attributes to the music she listens to. Also I say “dude” or “word” or “dope” a lot, she adds. People usually think I’m from LA or something.

And the fact she’s half Indian and half Thai means she also doesn’t have a typical local-girl look. But it may be just such cultural diversity that has contributed to her success in fashion.

Dolly’s real education in fashion was at Bangkok’s acclaimed fashion and design institute, Accademia Italiana (AI). To her, the experience was more than just studying and learning.

“It taught me a lot. That’s where I found myself”.