November Recommendations

Louis Vuitton Made To Order Men's Shoe Service
Never a brand to shy away from luxury, Louis Vuitton's New Bond Street branch has recently launched an innovative bespoke shoe service, offering clients the opportunity to create a personalised pair of shoes (and complementing belt) – from a choice of three thousand possible combinations of model, material and finish – which are then masterfully crafted in the Maison's Fiesso d'Artico workshop.

The London Korean Film Festival – November 1-16
Now in its 7th year, the London Korean Film Festival showcases the very best of contemporary Korean film, be it art house, thriller or comedy. Taking place from the 1-11 November at the Odeon West End and ICA cinemas, and thereafter touring nationally, the festival will open with the premiere of acclaimed Korean heist film The Thieves.

 

The Shining Re-release – November 2
The return to the big screen of Stanley Kubrick's masterpiece of modern horror will come as a welcomed delight to cinema enthusiasts and Halloween mourners alike. The chilling tale of Johnny (Jack Nicholson), the mentally declining winter caretaker of the cursed Overlook Hotel, will screen nationwide in a magnificent new digital transfer, previously unreleased in the UK.

Barbican Weekender: Natural Circuits – November 3-4
Through a variety of workshops, performances and interactive installations, this two-day Barbican event will consider the marked influence of digital technology on the arts. Highlights include Hidden Fields: Dance Room Spectroscopy, an extraordinary installation able to convert a person’s physical energy fields into sounds and images when they dance; and the Rain Room by Random International which enables viewers to walk around in a 100 square metre field of falling water without getting wet.

Photographs Auction at Phillips de Pury – November 8
Phillips de Pury & Co's November photographs auction boasts an exciting and diverse range of vintage and contemporary works from some of the 20th and 21st centuries' most notable artists; from a beautiful Brancusi shot of his studio to Jack Walls and Robert Mapplethorpe captured in a strikingly compositioned monochrome image by Gilles Larrain.

Taylor Wessing Photographic Portrait Prize – November 8-February 17, 2013
Selected from an open, and anonymous, competition, thousands of submissions for the National Portrait Gallery's celebrated annual prize are whittled down to 60 for exhibit, with one winner and three runners-up. This year's works are wonderfully diverse in style, reflecting the international mix of entrants, and span a wide range of approaches to the portrait genre, from fine art images to advertising and editorial pieces, like Matthew Niederhauser's brilliant shot of Ai Weiwei and his tabby cat.

Hartnell to Amies: Couture by Royal Appointment – November 16-February 23, 2013
An upcoming exhibition at London's Fashion and Textile Museum celebrates the timeless elegance of London couture, with a strong focus on iconic couturiers Norman Hartness, Hardy Amies and Frederick Fox. Equally it considers the important effects of royal patronage on British fashion, beginning with the Queen's commissioning of innovative British designers which helped to establish London as an international centre for fashion in the aftermath of the Second World War.

Skate at Somerset House – November 16-January 6, 2013
This winter, the idyllic courtyard of Somerset House will transform, once again, into the perfect ice-skating setting. The rink's Skate School also returns, offering uncertain skaters the chance to hone their skills, while a new pop-up shop, The Christmas Arcade, will house a selection of luxury presents for a spot of Christmas shopping.

Water For Elephants by Ugo Gattoni – November 22-February 3, 2013
The Book Club presents the first major London exhibition from talented Paris-based illustrator Ugo Gattoni, here focussing on his longtime passion for tropical flora and fauna in works which showcase his amazingly detailed, delicately rendered and brilliantly surreal drawing style. Intricate illustrations from his book Bicycle – a commission embarked upon during the London Olympics, documenting a fictional cycle race through the capital – will also feature.

Text by Daisy Woodward and Jane Fayle