Outstanding Woman in Business: Kyaw Sein Thay Dolly, managing director of Cloths R Us

Kyaw Sein Thay Dolly, managing director of Cloths R Us, exemplifies resilience and determination in the face of adversity.

Born in Patharghata, Chattogram and raised in Cox's Bazar, Dolly's dreams of attending a reputed university were crushed when her father was paralysed in 1994, ending the family's screen-printing business.

Her bedridden father advised her to pursue a Bachelor of Commerce pass course at Tejgaon College instead, believing it would allow her to enter the workforce sooner and support her family of five.

Dolly graduated in 1996 and joined Li & Fung as an assistant merchandiser in 1997.

Despite being offered a higher-paying position as a personal secretary, Dolly chose the lower-paying assistant role, recognising the potential for long-term career growth.

Over the next 13 years at Li & Fung, she honed her skills and pursued further education, completing an MBA by 2003.

"My MBA degree was a turning point in my life," she said, giving it credit to shaping her entrepreneurial mindset.

Her career progressed rapidly, with leadership roles at PVH and later as country manager for MS Mode and MGF Sourcing in Jakarta. By 2016, Dolly was directing MGF's operations in Bangladesh. Yet, her ambitions extended beyond corporate leadership.

She founded her own garment buying house in 2019, Cloths R Us using Tk 1 crore from the sale of family land.

Despite the challenges posed by the pandemic, Dolly's business hit $10 million in turnover by 2022.

Cloths R Us is committed to sustainability, focusing on garments made from bamboo fibre, organic cotton and Better Cotton Initiative-certified materials.

Dolly, a prominent figure in the Rakhine community, leads the Bangladesh Rakhine Buddhist Welfare Association in Dhaka and actively supports education for underprivileged children.

Her vision for the future includes expanding her business to $30-50 million by 2026, setting up a garment factory and pioneering sustainable fashion with recycled materials.