🎙️'The Ensemble': Election wins bring in a new generation; a K at the Castle for Beckham
French fashion kicks against China - and H2H at DOC NYC
We’re back again with this week’s Ensemble! H2H is back stateside in Washington D.C. this week so only one top story today.
Zohran Mamdani has probably had more global coverage than any U.S. mayoral candidate in history.
OK it’s *just* a mayoral election – but when the city in question is New York, it’s understandable people will ask whether the lessons of his resounding victory can map on the national stage.
And it was indeed a resounding victory with a majority of the votes cast; also a changing of the generations with the 34-year old Mayor-elect campaigning squarely on the issues that move younger voters – cost of living in general and rents in particular.
Here is the take on what it means for the future from Gotham’s own home-town paper, the New York Times.
Image: NPR
Democrats Continue to Win Big: Governor Victories for Virginia and New Jersey
Elsewhere there were two striking victories for women candidates for Governor in New Jersey and Virginia. Mikie Sherrill (pictured below on the right) and Abigail Spanberger (pictured below on the left) both have military or intelligence backgrounds, and either could be a White House candidate for the Democrats in 2032.
Stand by for Fit Check/Fact Check on both Spanberger and Sherrill once the dust has settled and the streamers and champagne corks cleared away.
Of course as ever this election was all about who WASN’T on the ballot. Did some Republicans suffer from not being on the ticket with President Trump in a national election? And what lessons will the Democrats take from a series of wins with candidates who squarely put opposing the President at the heart of their campaigns?
There were some interesting results in state elections as well:
Runway to Royalty: The Beckhams Capture the Spotlight at Windsor Castle
Elsewhere on the Fashion/News frontline, David and Victoria Beckham were on parade as Sir David accepted his Knighthood at Windsor Castle. We’re loving the recent Netflix documentary series on Lady Victoria, as she’ll now be known.
Here is a good take on what David wore and what it all means.
H2H current favorite female founder, a Victoria Beckham dress-up for Halloween –accompanied by a David Beckham dress-up.
Images: ABC News
Fashion War: France vs. Fast Fashion
France is, not surprisingly, pushing back on the impact of fast fashion on its strong domestic fashion producers – and the story took a surprising turn this week as the Government took action against Shein for allowing the import of sex dolls.
It’s a proxy battle over a wider issue as French retailers were already aghast at plans to open concessions from Chinese bulk importer Shein in big French stores.
There’s more on the impact of US tariffs on the fashion industry here and here if you want more detail.
Sources: Reuters, AP News (image)
New Week’s Forecast: COP30 off to Brazil and Climate Change Icons Clash
Coming up next week, the world’s climate leaders gather in Brazil for COP30 – we’ll have more in next week’s newsletter but here’s Sky News’ guide to what to look out for.
We also noted trouble in paradise as supporters of Malala Yousufzai – currently on a book tour of the media – and Greta Thunberg square up.
Here is what to look out for.
Thank you for tuning in this week, Ensemble readers! Next week’s newsletter will come from New York, where we’ll be bringing you some exclusive content from the Doc NYC documentary festival, as well as on-the-ground reporting from our Brooklyn bodega as it’s nationalized by the incoming Mamdani administration! Stay tuned.
If you’d like to attend the premier of H2H co-produced documentary That Night, covering the story of Iranian women in the notorious Evin prison, there’s a link here.
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