Indian Olympic shooter Manu Bhaker – the first Indian woman to secure an Olympic medal in shooting, when she scooped two bronze medals at the Paris Olympics – can now add modelling to her CV, after a spin on the runway at Lakme Fashion Week in New Delhi. Modelling for Marks & Spencer, Bhaker helped the brand reveal its autumn/winter 2024 collection wearing a fitted faux leather dress in black with a citrus cardigan draped over her shoulders.
Speaking after her runway debut, Bhaker told news agency ANI that she found the event “surreal”, adding: “I was very nervous, but it made me feel alive.”
Bhaker, 22, is far from the only sports star to take a turn on the runway. Earlier this year, tennis star sisters Serena and Venus Williams walked as part of Vogue World in Paris, a fashion extravaganza held in June before the opening of the Paris Olympics. Serena wore a custom-made look by Off-White, while Venus's look was made by Marine Serre out of repurposed tennis bags. Fellow tennis player Maria Sharapova also walked in the same event.
A couple of months later, in September, American gymnast Jordan Chiles took to the runway as part of New York Fashion Week. The team gold medal winner walked for the label Kim Shui.
World record sprinter Usain Bolt, too, has turned model in September 2022, when he appeared as part of the Futrograde show by Puma. Wearing a tuxedo, Bolt even broke out his signature pose at the end of the walkway.
In June 2019, Spanish football player Hector Bellerin walked for the Louis Vuitton spring/summer 2020 show, while Formula One driver Lewis Hamilton appeared on the runway next to Naomi Campbell for the Tommy Hilfiger autumn/winter 2019 show.
Elsewhere, actors and musicians have also been roped in to turn fashion model for a day.
At the ongoing Lakme Fashion Week, actors Shilpa Shetty, Shefali Shah and Shriya Saran (who did a Kathak dance step on the ramp), swished down the runway for Indian designers Megha Bansal, Masters of Minimalism and Payal Singhal respectively.
In the past, the fashion event has attracted Bollywood stars such as Kareena Kapoor Khan, Aditi Rao Hydari and Anil Kapoor.
As a promotional stunt for the film Zoolander 2, actors Ben Stiller and Owen Wilson walked in the autumn/winter 2015 show by Valentino, to the tune Don’t You Want Me? by The Human League.
Jared Leto and Macaulay Culkin both walked in Gucci's spring/summer 2022 show, while Prada has a strong track record of persuading actors to tread a different kind of board. Jeff Goldblum, Kyle MacLachlan and Thomas Brodie-Sangster all walked in the brand's autumn/winter 2022 show, while Adrien Brody and Jamie Bell took a turn on the Prada runway a decade earlier, for autumn/winter 2012. For its most recent show in Milan, it was the turn of actor Willem Dafoe.
Rappers Pusha T and No Malice both walked for Louis Vuitton's spring/summer 2024 show, Machine Gun Kelly walked for Dolce & Gabbana's autumn/winter 2022 and A$AP Rocky was part of the Hood Air autumn/winter fashion show back in 2013. Singer Shawn Mendes, too, has strutted his stuff for the Giorgio Armani spring/summer 2018 runway.
Meanwhile, Nicole Kidman and Romeo Beckham have both walked for the Spanish house of Balenciaga. Kidman modelled a look from its haute couture 2022 collection, while Beckham took part in the spring/summer 2025 ready-to-wear show.
In an unexpected turn, veteran actor Ian McKellen appeared on the runway as part of the SS Daley autumn/winter 2023 show, while Channing Tatum tried his hand on the runway for Sean John in 2003.
Then there is Chloe Sevigny, who has walked the runway no fewer than five times. She was part of the Simone Rocha autumn/winter 2019 show, and has walked for Miu Miu twice, in 1996 and 2019. She also took part in the spring/summer 2022 show by Mugler and most recently took a jaunt on the runway as part of the autumn/winter 2023 show by Proenza Schouler.
Founders: Abdulmajeed Alsukhan, Turki Bin Zarah and Abdulmohsen Albabtain.
Based: Riyadh
Offices: UAE, Vietnam and Germany
Founded: September, 2020
Number of employees: 70
Sector: FinTech, online payment solutions
Funding to date: $116m in two funding rounds
Investors: Checkout.com, Impact46, Vision Ventures, Wealth Well, Seedra, Khwarizmi, Hala Ventures, Nama Ventures and family offices
Score
Third Test, Day 2
New Zealand 274
Pakistan 139-3 (61 ov)
Pakistan trail by 135 runs with 7 wickets remaining in the innings
The biog
Prefers vegetables and fish to meat and would choose salad over pizza
Walks daily as part of regular exercise routine
France is her favourite country to visit
Has written books and manuals on women’s education, first aid and health for the family
Family: Husband, three sons and a daughter
Fathiya Nadhari's instructions to her children was to give back to the country
The children worked as young volunteers in social, education and health campaigns
Her motto is to never stop working for the country
How to wear a kandura
Dos
- Wear the right fabric for the right season and occasion
- Always ask for the dress code if you don’t know
- Wear a white kandura, white ghutra / shemagh (headwear) and black shoes for work
- Wear 100 per cent cotton under the kandura as most fabrics are polyester
Don’ts
- Wear hamdania for work, always wear a ghutra and agal
- Buy a kandura only based on how it feels; ask questions about the fabric and understand what you are buying
Virtuzone GCC Sixes
Date and venue Friday and Saturday, ICC Academy, Dubai Sports City
Time Matches start at 9am
Groups
A Blighty Ducks, Darjeeling Colts, Darjeeling Social, Dubai Wombats; B Darjeeling Veterans, Kuwait Casuals, Loose Cannons, Savannah Lions; C Awali Taverners, Darjeeling, Dromedary, Darjeeling Good Eggs
What the law says
Micro-retirement is not a recognised concept or employment status under Federal Decree Law No. 33 of 2021 on the Regulation of Labour Relations (as amended) (UAE Labour Law). As such, it reflects a voluntary work-life balance practice, rather than a recognised legal employment category, according to Dilini Loku, senior associate for law firm Gateley Middle East.
“Some companies may offer formal sabbatical policies or career break programmes; however, beyond such arrangements, there is no automatic right or statutory entitlement to extended breaks,” she explains.
“Any leave taken beyond statutory entitlements, such as annual leave, is typically regarded as unpaid leave in accordance with Article 33 of the UAE Labour Law. While employees may legally take unpaid leave, such requests are subject to the employer’s discretion and require approval.”
If an employee resigns to pursue micro-retirement, the employment contract is terminated, and the employer is under no legal obligation to rehire the employee in the future unless specific contractual agreements are in place (such as return-to-work arrangements), which are generally uncommon, Ms Loku adds.
Naga
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WWE Super ShowDown results
Seth Rollins beat Baron Corbin to retain his WWE Universal title
Finn Balor defeated Andrade to stay WWE Intercontinental Championship
Shane McMahon defeated Roman Reigns
Lars Sullivan won by disqualification against Lucha House Party
Randy Orton beats Triple H
Braun Strowman beats Bobby Lashley
Kofi Kingston wins against Dolph Zigggler to retain the WWE World Heavyweight Championship
Mansoor Al Shehail won the 50-man Battle Royal
The Undertaker beat Goldberg
England Test squad
Ben Stokes (captain), Joe Root, James Anderson, Jonny Bairstow, Stuart Broad, Harry Brook, Zak Crawley, Ben Foakes, Jack Leach, Alex Lees, Craig Overton, Ollie Pope, Matthew Potts
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Scores
Rajasthan Royals 160-8 (20 ov)
Kolkata Knight Riders 163-3 (18.5 ov)
Notable Yas events in 2017/18
October 13-14 KartZone (complimentary trials)
December 14-16 The Gulf 12 Hours Endurance race
March 5 Yas Marina Circuit Karting Enduro event
March 8-9 UAE Rotax Max Challenge
About%20My%20Father
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What vitamins do we know are beneficial for living in the UAE
Vitamin D: Highly relevant in the UAE due to limited sun exposure; supports bone health, immunity and mood.
Vitamin B12: Important for nerve health and energy production, especially for vegetarians, vegans and individuals with absorption issues.
Iron: Useful only when deficiency or anaemia is confirmed; helps reduce fatigue and support immunity.
Omega-3 (EPA/DHA): Supports heart health and reduces inflammation, especially for those who consume little fish.
The National's picks
4.35pm: Tilal Al Khalediah
5.10pm: Continous
5.45pm: Raging Torrent
6.20pm: West Acre
7pm: Flood Zone
7.40pm: Straight No Chaser
8.15pm: Romantic Warrior
8.50pm: Calandogan
9.30pm: Forever Young
