We’re not big on new year's resolutions here at Ensemble HQ, instead we like to mark our calendars with the events and entertainment we are most looking forward to in the months ahead.
From a dreamy new Sofia Coppola film to the Olympics of fashion and the actual Olympics, 2024 has no shortage of treats to keep the post-holiday blues at bay.
Sounds of the year
Set your alarms – Kali Uchis is set to release her new album Orquídeas on January 12, and she’s hinted at it being “a new era” for her music. We sense a femme fantasy soundtrack coming…
On March 22 the band Gossip returns with their first album in 11 years, with Real Power produced by Rick Rubin. Beth Ditto and co. released the single Crazy Again in November, a hint at what's to come.
Other artists set to (or rumoured to be) release new albums this year: Dua Lipa, Cardi B, Charli XCX and Sky Ferreira. Lorde has also hinted at new music, in our interview with the star last year and an Instagram post in December ("listening to myself") - could 2024 see ‘L4’?
New films!
We're counting down the days to our Ensemble Presents: Priscilla NZ premiere screening on January 18, ahead of the film’s wider release on February 1. The film follows the iconic love story from the perspective of Priscilla Beaulieu (played by Cailee Spaeny) who first meets Elvis Presley (Jacob Elordi) as a teenager at a party.
Of course we’ll be fully leaning into the Sofia Coppola of it all, with a retro wedding reception dress code, smoky-eyes and big dreamy hair. Start planning your look and buy tickets to our screening party at the Hollywood Avondale here.
On February 15, award-winning director Molly Manning Walker’s How to Have Sex comes out in NZ cinemas - the daring coming-of-age film had us laughing, cringing and crying when we watched it as part of the film festival late last year.On April 24, the Luca Guadagnino directed Challengers is released, starring Zendaya, Josh O'Connor and Mike Faist and with costumes by Jonathan Anderson of Loewe. And on May 23, Anya Taylor-Joy will star as Furiosa in a new film as part off the Mad Max: Fury Roads series.
Much later in 2024 — October 3 to be exact — Lady Gaga returns to the big screen with her role as Harley Quinn in Joker: Folie à Deux, alongside Joaquin Phoenix as the Joker.
Other big movies we're looking forward to: Beetlejuice 2, Tim Burton's sequel to the classic that will feature original stars Winona Ryder, Michael Keaton and Catherine O'Hara (set for release in September), Wicked: Part One, the film adaptation of the musical starring Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande (set for released in late November).
Binge-worthy TV
There’s a lot of new fashion and period drama hitting our screens this year.
Starting with the glamorous new season of Ryan Murphy’s Feud: Capote vs.The Swans which comes out on Disney Plus on January 31. Set in 1970s New York City, it follows the story of author Truman Capote and his inner circle of socialites he called "swans” - fashion icons of the era including Babe Paley (played by Naomi Watts), Slim Keith (Diane Lane), C.Z. Guest (Chloë Sevigny) and Lee Radziwill (Calista Flockhart). Expect big hair, extravagant interiors and lots of long lunches.
One for the fashion history geeks: the upcoming biopic drama series The New Look, based on the story of the fashion line Christian Dior created in Paris after World War II, comes out in February on Apple TV+. The series stars Ben Mendelsohn as Christian Dior, Maisie Williams as sister Catherine Dior and Juliette Binoche as Coco Chanel. John Malkovich also plays the French couturier Lucien Lelong - we’re intrigued!
Also in February is Donald Glover's adaptation of Mr. & Mrs. Smith series. Released on Prime Video on February 2, it stars Glover alongside PEN15’s Maya Erskine - who replaced Phoebe Waller-Bridge, who originally joined the project as co-creator and co-star.
Later on March 20, Kristen Wiig’s new Apple TV+ series Palm Royale brings the comedic relief, with Laura Dern and Allison Janney starring alongside Wiig, who plays an underdog attempting to break into Palm Beach high society in 1969 Florida.
Good books
Saraid de Silva is one of our favourites, and one of NZ’s best writers — so we’re excited for the release of her first book, Amma, set to be released in March/April.
"It’s a story about three generations of South Asian women in one family. It is also a story about queerness, migration, rage, and revenge," wrote Saraid on Instagram. Pre-order it here!
Other local books being published in 2024 that should be on your radar: Bird Child and Other Stories by Patricia Grace in January and Kitten by Olive Nuttall in February. Plus we can't wait for riot grrrl Kathleen Hanna's memoir Rebel Girl: My Life As a Feminist Punk, set to be released in May.
Usher at the Super Bowl
Has there been a steezier singer/dancer than Usher since 2004? If this clip of him doing the most impressive robot (or as some fans are calling it, "the dying cockroach") is anything to go by, we’re in for a real treat on February 11 when he headlines the halftime show. He’ll also release a new album, Coming Home. Yeah!
Taylor Swift live
Swifties who were determined and lucky enough to nab tickets to her Eras Tour will have the night of their life (and no doubt lose their voices) when the singer performs her seven sold-out shows in Australia in February. Maybe she'll have released Reputation (Taylor's Version) by then?
The Met Gala
On the first Monday of May it’s the Olympics of fashion, and this year’s theme ‘Sleeping Beauties: Reawakening Fashion’ has us feeling hopeful for some more creativity and whimsy on the red carpet than we had last year.
Predictions: Lana Del Rey will come on a floating mattress, Rihanna will arrive (late) with her sleeping kids in a buggy and Tefi Pessoa will be a red carpet host (TikTok is the main event sponsor).
The Paris Olympics
Then we have the actual Olympics which kicks off in the City of Love on July 26. Set against a Parisian summer, it will be the escapism we need to get us through the depths of winter. Plus, as last year saw, the convergence of sports and fashion has become even bigger in terms of luxury brands aligning themselves with sporting spokespeople - expect the Olympics to kick that into overdrive.
The other major sporting event that luxury particularly loves: the America's Cup. This year Louis Vuitton has returned as the naming rights sponsor (it was Prada last time when we hosted it here in Auckland), with the Louis Vuitton cup in August/September and the main event in October in Barcelona.
