Individuals who spend their lives caught between two cultures are often easy to spot. No better can this cross-pollination of influences be seen than in Bin Drai’s spring/summer 2016 collection where East meets West one evening gown after the next. Her collection was inspired by the beauty of the winter desert, she explains, its monochromatic palette and sweeping silhouettes reflecting the undulating contours of the sand dunes surrounding her adopted home. A black silk gown trimmed with a delicate rim of white organza shimmers with jagged accents of gold embroidery; another piece, a fitted white dress with a high-necked collar, is infused with warmth as golden baguette-cut crystals adorn the décolletage. Each piece looks fit for a fairytale princess and what makes them unique is that, beneath the glitz and glam, sits requisite strength.
“I wanted this elegant collection to perfectly encapsulate the hypnotising draw of nature’s beauty,” Bin Drai elucidates. “The feminine dresses reflect sunlight rising over sand dunes and the inky darkness during majestic desert nights.” Many gowns are accessorized with heavy jewellery that echoes the shapes of traditional pieces from Arab culture, their obvious femininity toughened up with a dose of heavy metal. The result is bewitching, an ode to the brutal, beautiful simplicity of one of nature’s harshest terrains and the people that have made it home for millennia.
With her extensive experience in front of the camera, Bin Drai has a well-rounded perspective on the fashion industry. She entered the industry aged 19 and shortly after, won the titles of Miss Yugoslavia, Miss Internet and Miss Photogenic in competitive pageants. The brunette beauty’s striking looks led her on assignments around the world but it was more likely her business acumen (Bin Drai achieved a Master’s degree in Economics and Diplomacy) that launched the label. “Through modelling, I got the first taste for business, with the tough, competitive nature of the industry instilling me with the invaluable skills of negotiation, organisation and the determination to succeed,” she says. Growing up in war-torn Serbia may also have contributed to her thick skin – Bin Drai recalls the “character-building” sound of air raid sirens throughout her childhood as the Bosnian War raged on throughout the Balkan States.
Fast-forward 15 years and Bin Drai was tired of being just a pretty face. It seemed logical to take on the role of designer, channelling the creativity that her art teacher mother had encouraged from a young age, into a business that she already understood. Better yet, she had identified a gap in the market. “With my new life in the East in direct contrast to my Western roots, I soon found a niche in the fashion industry for beautiful bespoke gowns that transcended both cultures,” she remembers. Ten years after her arrival in the Emirates, her own label was launched – and a fashion entrepreneur was born.
Dubai is a city where skyscraper stilettos are de rigeur for a lunch date, but Bin Drai remains adamant that glamour shouldn’t come at the cost of comfort. She describes her own style as simple and elegant, looking to icons like Grace Kelly, Queen Rania of Jordan and Sheikha Moza for inspiration. She seeks sophistication of the old-fashioned variety but is aware of the demands of her internationally-minded, affluent clientele. They’re all looking for “show-stopping” pieces, she claims, but there is a deeper, more emotional need that she hopes her label fulfils. “Each dress represents different and memorable moments in the life of each client,” she says. “I’m able to achieve this through intimate discussions to ensure I create a bespoke design according to their wishes.” Couture can be bought, in other words – but that sense of collaboration between designer and patron is priceless.
One gets the sense that a lot of Bin Drai’s own story is stitched into each garment, particularly when she describes how each piece reflects the “journey of a young uptown girl to a sophisticated, confident woman.” If art imitates life, then Bin Drai’s collection mirrors her own metamorphosis – and encourages others to search for their fullest potential.
WHO Jelena Bin Drai
WHAT Emerging fashion designer
WHERE Dubai
WHY The path from model to fashion designer is lined with failure, yet Jelena Bin Drai is showing a deft hand at drawing from her cross cultural references, creating a sleek, sensual look, in a kind of ‘ethnic’ glamour inspired by the desert.
