Model Elana Nair on finding her stride, embracing her roots, and the art of becoming.
Photography by Chuan Looi. Concept & art direction by Khairani Ramli. Styling & text by Abdul Aziz Draim. Elana Nair wears looks and accessories from the Ralph Lauren Collection Fall ’25.

“I only started modelling pretty recently in 2024, so I was still 22 at the time,” Elana Nair reflects with refreshing candour. At 23, this Kuala Lumpur native is carving out her place in Malaysia’s fashion landscape—not through a predetermined path to recognition, but through a series of organic moments that have led her to where she is today. Her journey speaks to a blend of confidence, cultural pride, and an endearing sense of self-awareness that cuts through fashion’s carefully curated world. “A friend of mine convinced me to go for The Models Lab KL casting—and I thought, why not? It was very much one of those ‘Let’s just see what happens’ moments … and somehow it turned into this whole new chapter.”
That spontaneous decision has proven rather prescient. This year’s Kuala Lumpur Fashion Week saw Nair command the runway with a conviction that belied her relative newcomer status, earning her recognition as one of the scene’s most promising talents. Yet she’s refreshingly honest about her evolution: “Last year, I was practically trying not to puke each time before I stepped onto the runway. This year, it was less about nerves and more about demonstrating poise and confidence … and still hoping I wouldn’t trip. Growth, right?”
Creative director: Abdul Aziz Draim
Senior art director: Khairani Ramli
Lifestyle editor: Syameen Salehaldin
Hair: Ckay Liow
Make-up: Khir Khalid
Model: Elana Nair (The Models Lab KL)
Production assistant: Syazrel Boharin
Photographer’s assistants: Max Ong, Pan Cheong, Zi Xin, Eugene Teoh, Wan Xing, Xue Ni.
Shot on location at 3Q Equestrian Centre, with Millie's Girl (white horse) and Ecuador PSL (black steed). Special thanks to Jeana Goh.
For other stories on Malaysian models, visit here. Eager to shop from the Ralph Lauren Collection? Visit here.
abd. aziz draim
Currently the creative director of BAZAAR, Aziz has been helming architecture, fashion, and design magazines for two decades now, and he’s been doing it in two languages to boot. Citing Rei Kawakubo, Vivienne Westwood and Jean Paul Gaultier as his earliest fashion gurus, this amateur poet believes that nobody deserves an ugly pair of shoes.