đď¸ The Ensemble: Japan's Iron Lady Wins, Couture Escapes, Courtroom Claps Back, and Control Gets a Makeover
News with Suz in Tokyo, Paris hides in fantasy, Trump keeps the courts busy, Tehran lashes out at Europe, and from red carpets to mosques, bodies become the quiet site of protest
âTakaichiâs gamble pays offâ reads the headline of The Japan Times, as I sip a matcha latte overlooking Mt Fuji in Tokyo. Thank you to the Hilton for taking good care of us while we celebrate completing the 100 country challenge (stay tuned for a separate post on this) AND a historic win - because of course News with Suz can never escape the headlines. Japanâs first female prime minister wanted to make sure she had a personal mandate from the people, so she called a snap election - and won in a landslide, in the best news yet for the struggling yen , just in time for our dollars to depart the country, having admittedly been influenced to fly here by our favorite reads, Bloomberg Pursuits. In recent months the Japanese currency had taken such a dive that even Birkin collectors were offloading their treasures, causing a spike in luxury vintage hunter travellers. But still, the âSae Bagâ reigns supreme here, the Japanese PMâs power purse thatâs been compared to Mrs. Thatcherâs - which my husband says resembles the Hermes Kelly.
If this week proved anything, itâs that power doesnât just show up in policy. It shows up in what we wear, who we sue, who we punish, and who refuses to comply. While Paris couture retreated into feathers and fantasy as the world burned, Trump treated litigation like a seasonal accessory, celebrities turned the red carpet into a referendum on the body, Bradfordâs uncles quietly dismantled toxic masculinity on pilates mats, and Tehran kept picking diplomatic fights as Iranian women continued their rebellion. Different scenes, same question: who gets to control the narrative and the body in front of us? Dive in with us
xo, Suz
Ps. weâll have Super Bowl and Olympics coverage on Instagram. Make sure youâre following.
Couture in a Crisis: Paris Plays Dress-Up While the World Burns
One thing is for sure: the world is in chaos. Yet, the show must go on. As FTâs fashion editor Elizabeth Paton pondered; can exquisite clothing that takes hundreds of hours to make offer any respite? We are in an era of crisis fatigue, and the flamboyant mousseline and threaded pearls of the catwalk might offer the escapism we so desperately crave.
Paris couture week unfolded in a strange parallel universe, offering fantasy and excess while conflict and crisis dominated headlines elsewhere. Inside the cityâs gilded salons, designers doubled down on escapism. Matthieu Blazyâs debut Chanel couture show transformed the Grand Palais into a candyâcoloured forest of giant mushrooms, a deliberate break from what he called âa harsh worldâ. His featherâlight suits, trompeâlâoeil tweeds and motherâofâpearl bridal look showcased coutureâs obsession with craft - and its reliance on clients who want clothes made just for them.
At Dior, Jonathan Anderson delivered his strongest collection yet, sparked by something as mundane as a cyclamen plant and a Tesco bag of cakes. In a mirrored box at the MusĂŠe Rodin, cyclamens sprouted from gowns, heels and jewellery, while Anderson pushed Dior signatures into sculptural, modern territory. He framed couture not just as luxury but as an economic lifeline for the artisans who keep centuriesâold techniques alive.
Elsewhere, spectacle ruled. Schiaparelliâs Daniel Roseberry riffed on last yearâs Louvre jewel heist with surreal, animalâinspired constructions, while Viktor & Rolf ended their show by hoisting a model into the air on a couture kite. Armani PrivĂŠ, now led by Silvana Armani after the founderâs death, offered a muted jadeâtoned collection aimed squarely at Asian clients. Valentino honoured its late namesake with a voyeuristic show staged inside kaiserâpanoramaâstyle boxes, where guests peered at models through peepholes.
The week ended on a raw, human note. Indian designer Gaurav Gupta, still recovering from a devastating fire that left him and his partner with lifeâchanging injuries, returned with cosmic, resinâsculpted gowns and an emotional final bow. It was a reminder that even in couture, a world built on fantasy, beauty and pain often arrive as a pair.
As we anticipate that crisis and fashion will continue to collide at this monthâs fashion shows, the political storm continues to swell, with Trump treating litigation like the seasonâs newest accessory.
Source: Financial Times, Images: Financial Times
Lawsuit Roundup: Fashionable to Sue
On Monday, Donald Trump slammed the Grammy Awards and threatened to sue host Trevor Noah for joking about the president and Jeffrey Epsteinâs island. Referencing the song of the year award, the comedian quipped: âThat is a Grammy that every artist wants almost as much as Trump wants Greenland, which makes sense⌠because Epsteinâs island is gone, he needs a new one to hang out with Bill Clintonâ.
The president lashed back on Truth Socials, writing âThe Grammy Awards are the WORST, virtually unwatchable! Noah said, INCORRECTLY about me, that Donald Trump and Bill Clinton spent time on Epstein Islandâ. Trump continued, calling Noah a âtotal loser,â saying that âit looks like Iâll be sending my lawyersâ to sue him for âplentyâ of money.
The US president has also announced that he is suing Harvard University for $1 billion in damages amongst his administrationâs ongoing feud with the institution.
All of this has evolved in the months following Trumpâs filing of a multi-million dollar defamation lawsuit against the BBC. The president attacked the BBC after it aired a Panorama episode that edited different sections of the presidentâs January 6 2021 speech in a way that suggested that Trump was inciting violence. The BBC has since apologised but has rejected his demands for compensation after denouncing that there were grounds for a defamation claim.
Sources: BBC, CNN Images: The Independent, BBC
However, you could also sue us for not getting the memo that the Grammy Awardsâ theme was⌠well, naked?
Body is back in fashion at the 2026 Grammy Awards
Ahead of the 2026 MET Gala, themed âCostume Art,â weâre talking about and wearing all things that explore relationship between body and clothing. The Grammys celebrity attendees were on trend this year with many almost-naked, body-centered outfits.
Likely the most talked about outfit was Chappell Roanâs sheer burgundy gown. The custom Mugler piece was held up by nipple-rings, making it a particularly iconic, yet barely there, choice. Paired with temporary tattoos and striking makeup, the fit has sparked debate over âred-carpet boundariesâ. Nominated for Record of the Year and Best Solo Performance for âThe Subwayâ, Roan has left a lasting impression.
German model Heidi Klum also made an impression, flaunting a custom nude dress by German designer Marina Hoermanseder. The figure-hugging latex piece commanded attention, but is remnant of the âbreastplate trendâ, popularised by Zendayaâs iconic Tom Ford and Loewe pieces.
Yungblud and Sombr also leant into the ânakedâ theme with looks that blurred the line between vulnerability and spectacle. Yungbludâs deconstructed tailoring and sheer panels framed the body as both canvas and protest, while Sombrâs sculptural, skinârevealing ensemble pushed the aesthetic toward highâconcept performance art. Together, their outfits signalled a shift in pop cultureâs relationship with bareness - less shock value, more statement of autonomy.
Images: BBC, RCFA, Cosmopolitan
Pilates princess no more. Toxic masculinity, meet the mat.
While femininity and toxic masculinity stay at the top of many societal debates, in Bradford, England, a group of mostly older men are swapping post-prayer tea for pilates. Three local mosques now host weekly 45-minute sessions where retirees stretch, squat, and breathe their way through workouts that quietly double as therapy.
What started as a small community class exploded after a TikTok racked up nearly 2 million views, with mosques across the UK, Malaysia and even Canada asking how to copy the model. Organizers say itâs about more than fitness. Itâs tackling loneliness, improving mental health, and rebranding the mosque as a community hub rather than just a place to pray. Next up: womenâs classes and youth clubs. Turns out âmen of steelâ sometimes start with a butterfly stretch.
Source: The Guardian, Image: The Guardian
EU designated IRGC as terrorist unit
Trump is not the only one who keeps a grudge. After the European Union designated the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) as a terrorist organization, Iran summoned the ambassadors of EU countries in protest. The Foreign Ministry also released a statement, saying that the EU action ânot only constitutes a blatant violation of the fundamental principles of the United Nations Charter and international lawâŚbut is also regarded as a strategic mistake and an unforgivable insult to the Iranian nation.â The Iranian parliament keeps going tit-for-tat and declared the European Union militaries to be terrorist organizations.
Women rejecting the hijab have doomed Iranâs brutal regime
If Tehranâs latest diplomatic theatrics feel petty, you should remember who the regime has really been fighting all along. For decades, the Islamic Republic has tested its power not just on foreign governments but on its own women, tightening and loosening social restrictions like a control knob. Today, more Iranian women simply refuse to comply with mandatory hijab laws, turning everyday acts into resistance. Long before parliament started picking fights with Europe, the regime was already losing its most important battle, the one on its own streets. Read more in my latest Telegraph story.
This week, couture offered escape, courts doubled as political battlegrounds, pop culture kept pushing dress codes, and even mosques turned wellness into quiet resistance. From Paris runways to Tehran streets, itâs the same story in different outfits: power, protest, and people finding ways to move forward anyway.
Thanks for reading and spending your week with us. Weâll be back next round with more on where policy meets culture around the world.