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JELENA JAKOVLJEVIC-BIN DRAI
OWNER OF VANILLA BY JELENA EXCLUSIVE LADIES SALON & SPA AND CHOCOLATE BY JELENA GROOMING GENTS SALON & SPA “Park Place tower [on Sheikh Zayed Road] is truly unique for me,” laughs the stunning former Miss Yugoslavia and mother of oneyear-old Asya, Jelena Jakovljevic-Bin Drai. “Most of my life seems to be concentrated in this one building; everything from my apartment, my office, Vanilla by Jelena Exclusive Ladies Salon & Spa and places for me to relax like the pool, the gym – even restaurants – are all here. I often joke that if there was a mini-shopping mall as well, I would never leave!” However, it’s the “utter peace and tranquility” of the rolling lawns that surround the Bin Drai’s farmhouse in Al Awir where Jelena likes to spend lazy afternoons with her family. “We lay out blankets, have a picnic and watch the sunset – it’s beautiful.” The farmhouse, where Jelena married husband Saeed Bin Drai four years ago, is currently being refurbished, so the precious 100
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time spent there is usually in the luxurious guesthouse, in between feeding the family of gazelles in residence or relaxing by the impressive fountain that greets visitors on arrival at the desert haven. Although it’s easier to imagine this statuesque brunette on the catwalk than slaving over a stove, she insists she, “loves to cook, especially Serbian dishes like sarma (minced meat wrapped in cabbage leaves) and prebranac (oven baked beans).” Jelena explains: “I grew up in a small village called Zabalj and it was considered shameful to be a grown woman who couldn’t cook!” Ingredients are intrinsically important to Jelena, so luckily for her, she doesn’t have to travel far for groceries. “We own a high-end deli, Milk & Honey, on Palm Jumeirah so I get regular home deliveries. I know what we consume is 100 per cent healthy and organic.” A former model, Jelena styles herself but jokes that she is couture king Rami Al Ali’s
“muse by force.” For everything else she has her salon Vanilla by Jelena Exclusive Ladies Salon & Spa. “In the name of fashion, I will suffer when I am out socialising, but at home I prefer to relax in tracksuits and jalabias. I am, however, emotionally attached to all the pieces in my wardrobe. I can tell you where, when and why I bought each item. I am very organised, but how I get dressed varies depending on how much notice I have for an event. Sometimes, I will decide days in advance, and other times I will grab items and formulate a look there and then.” When the clock strikes 7pm, however, it’s family time and an opportunity for Jelena to satiate her Gossip Girl cravings. Ensconced in her favourite part of the house, the living room has huge sofas so comfy that “friends often fall asleep in them.” Jelena credits a wonderful extended family and close friends, as well as her staff, as integral to the smooth running of her household. “My girls are part of the family – they are always with us, and have been for 10 years. I could never imagine life without them.” VANILLA BY JELENA EXCLUSIVE LADIES SALON & SPA (04) 3297008 CHOCOLATE BY JELENA GROOMING GENTS SALON & SPA (04) 4376001