šļøThe Ensemble: Monkey Business, a Solemn War Anniversary and Empathy Across the Lines
Into the gaping void left by the end of Winter Olympics strides a single baby monkey...
Sometimes we get the hero we need - Punch is a tiny macaque in a Tokyo zoo who has been bullied by the other members of his pack after being rejected by his mother, takes comfort in his stuffed toy orangutang, and has now thoroughly broken the internet. Thereās something about zoo animal stories that speaks to all of us (see also Harambeā¦) - and I guess chimps appear to display relatable human emotions so well, itās hard not to be drawn in. Meanwhile the zoo has posted asking people from outside Japan to stop phoning up to express concern!
Elsewhere this week weāre marking the anniversary nobody wanted to reach - 4 years since the start of the war in Ukraine. Thereās been some terrific commentary marking the moment, including our own Veronika Kolosovaās reflections on the impact of the war on her familyās home town. Elsewhere Iād particularly recommend this long read from The Guardianās Shaun Walker about the intelligence failures in the run-up to the start of the war, including strong warnings from the US and UK about Putinās intentions being ignored.
London Fashion Week also took solidarity with Ukraine as a theme. This weekendās catwalk displayed an array of designers with one common goal: to unite. Fridayās UA in UK show commenced with a minute of silence for the war in Ukraine. Organised by Aleksandra Volkovo, the event featured seven Ukrainian brands that stunned the audience with everything from minimalist pantsuits to Dracula-inspired trench coats. Volkovo described the show as āmanifest of our creativeness, our talents and about Ukrainian power in this industryā.
Saturday showcased four designers for āFashion Discovery Londonā, uniting emerging designers, buyers, media and creative professionals. With a focus on growth and visibility, a beautiful collection of Afghan coats hand-embroidered by women living in Afghanistan (the wonderful Aql&Nafs, H2H approved and worn!) was followed by a brand focused on neurodivergence and texture-conscious streetwear.
What was potent about these events was that the designersā backgrounds were international, mostly colliding with countries that are undergoing particular political turmoil and repression. So, in such a turbulent world, London Fashion Week stood as a space for expression, freedom and humanity.
We now have a full LFW report on the site - do take a look.
As we go to press, former UK Ambassador to Washington Peter Mandelson has been arrested in London after his email correspondence with Jeffrey Epstein came to light. Earlier today the Prime Minister of Australia wrote to Keir Starmer pledging support to remove Andrew Mountbatten Windsor from the Royal line of succession. Meanwhile in Paris:
Elsewhere, and with more Helmet than Heels, I attended an significant defence and security summit this week in a historic University city outside London - where US and UK policymakers and legislators gathered to chew over last weekās Munich Security Conference and indeed the previous few months - from Greenland to Ukraine and on to Iran and Taiwan. Respecting the Chatham House Rule, which means you can share what was said but not who said it, Iāll highlight a few general themes:
The USAās ability to fight wars on multiple fronts is top of mind. Despite President Trumpās pledges to end foreign entanglements, the US remains committed in Ukraine, is potentially taking action in Iran, heavily committed in the Caribbean after Venezuela, and needs to maintain a presence around Taiwan. The US no longer has the capacity to be in all of these conflicts simultaneously.
Commitment to supplying Ukraine with weapons, and attacking Iran at the same time, will create significant āmagazine capacityā issues; that is to say, the complex technical weaponry needed takes a long time to produce and some stocks are low. Selling some of the most expensive and technically advanced weapons to Ukraine is a supply issue as much as a political one.
There is still a gulf in understanding between US and UK allies about the constraints of international law - on using UK bases to attack Iran and the proposed deal over handing over Diego Garcia sovereignty to Mauritius. There is bafflement on the US side as to why the UK attaches such significance to the views of international lawyers. (For more on this I really recommend this Ben Judah piece from The Times this weekend, one of the UK Special Advisers who helped frame the Diego Garcia agreement).
Finally - Iran is never far from my thoughts and as I watch the continuing buildup of US military this week from Washington, please do read a couple of new pieces weāve published on the site. First, Iāve pulled together some of the first-hand accounts Iām receiving from inside the country, and reflecting on how challenging it is for journalists to tell Iranās story fairly without taking the regimeās agenda at face value. Secondly - and connected - my husband Jamie Angus has written about his experience in Iran and how international broadcasters reporting from the country for the 47th anniversary are being played by the regime for validation. I hope you enjoy both pieces.