Lakme Fashion Week Summer Resort 2020 kicked off on Tuesday, February 11, and it’s already off to a good start.
Walking the ramp were Bollywood stars Vicky Kaushal and Janhvi Kapoor, and they both dazzled in elaborate outfits.
Janhvi was seen in a multi-coloured floor-length gown by designer Rahul Mishra. The Soneva Atmosphere Hand Embroidered Aqua Gown was a work of art featuring an entire landscape and sheer shoulders. According to the Delhi-based designer, the inspiration for the dress came from Soneva Fushi in the Maldives.
“On a recent trip to Soneva Fushi Maldives, as I submerged myself quite literally, into an unfamiliar world, a series of stark realisations dawned upon me. Mesmerised by the million shades of blue, the ever changing abstract shapes made up of a diaspora of fish, the alienesque under-water foliage and the striking corals, it was a mammoth task to register the beauty unfolding before me - an experience that was equal parts surreal and humbling. Our collection, ‘Home’ saw an incessant reminder of the beauty that our planet beholds,” the designer posted on Instagram while describing the gown.
The designer has dressed numerous celebrities over the years, from Deepika Padukone to Zendaya, who recently stunned in a sheer, hand-embroidered jacket that mimics falling leaves, when she stepped out for a New York Fashion Week Bulgari party.
For her part, Janhvi, who had paired the look with soft curls, seemed elated to be wearing the gown. "Had a super amazing time walking with @vickykaushal09 for the Trends show @reliancetrends wearing @rahulmishra_7," read the caption of an Instagram post that went out to her 7.7 million followers.
Meanwhile, Vicky looked dapper in a kurta paired with a long coat by Indian menswear designer Kunal Rawal.
Desert Warrior
Starring: Anthony Mackie, Aiysha Hart, Ben Kingsley
Director: Rupert Wyatt
Rating: 3/5
The alternatives
• Founded in 2014, Telr is a payment aggregator and gateway with an office in Silicon Oasis. It’s e-commerce entry plan costs Dh349 monthly (plus VAT). QR codes direct customers to an online payment page and merchants can generate payments through messaging apps.
• Business Bay’s Pallapay claims 40,000-plus active merchants who can invoice customers and receive payment by card. Fees range from 1.99 per cent plus Dh1 per transaction depending on payment method and location, such as online or via UAE mobile.
• Tap started in May 2013 in Kuwait, allowing Middle East businesses to bill, accept, receive and make payments online “easier, faster and smoother” via goSell and goCollect. It supports more than 10,000 merchants. Monthly fees range from US$65-100, plus card charges of 2.75-3.75 per cent and Dh1.2 per sale.
• 2checkout’s “all-in-one payment gateway and merchant account” accepts payments in 200-plus markets for 2.4-3.9 per cent, plus a Dh1.2-Dh1.8 currency conversion charge. The US provider processes online shop and mobile transactions and has 17,000-plus active digital commerce users.
• PayPal is probably the best-known online goods payment method - usually used for eBay purchases - but can be used to receive funds, providing everyone’s signed up. Costs from 2.9 per cent plus Dh1.2 per transaction.
Company profile
Name: Thndr
Started: October 2020
Founders: Ahmad Hammouda and Seif Amr
Based: Cairo, Egypt
Sector: FinTech
Initial investment: pre-seed of $800,000
Funding stage: series A; $20 million
Investors: Tiger Global, Beco Capital, Prosus Ventures, Y Combinator, Global Ventures, Abdul Latif Jameel, Endure Capital, 4DX Ventures, Plus VC, Rabacap and MSA Capital
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
Classification of skills
A worker is categorised as skilled by the MOHRE based on nine levels given in the International Standard Classification of Occupations (ISCO) issued by the International Labour Organisation.
A skilled worker would be someone at a professional level (levels 1 – 5) which includes managers, professionals, technicians and associate professionals, clerical support workers, and service and sales workers.
The worker must also have an attested educational certificate higher than secondary or an equivalent certification, and earn a monthly salary of at least Dh4,000.
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