Chant “ashes to ashes, dust to dust” at Laid To Rest: Serena
Korda’s Final Procession

Artist Serena Korda collected dust from houses, businesses and institutions,
compressing her finds of hair, dead skin and assorted waste products into
500 commemorative bricks. These bricks were displayed as part of the Wellcome
Collection’s Dirt: The Filthy Reality of Everyday Life exhibition. Now
that the show has reached its end it’s time to dispose of her curious
construction. On Sunday, a horse-drawn carriage will transport the cargo to
Brunswick Square Gardens for burial with a marching band, performing an
original score by Daniel O’ Sullivan, and dancers in tow. It’s a peculiar
procession and something you’re unlikely to ever witness again, but it is
inspired by historical precedents. In Victorian times a giant ‘dust heap’
was stationed at Gray’s Inn Road and its accumulation of ash, cinders and
rubbish was mixed with mud to produce the bricks that built London.

When: September 18
Where: the procession leaves from the corner of Endsleigh Gardens and
Taviton St, which is located by the Wellcome Collection, 183 Euston Road,
London NW1 2BE
Getting there: Tube: Euston or Euston Square
How much: free

London Design Festival

Held over nine days, the London
Design Festival is one of the world’s most important annual design
events, and an annual reminder of the contribution the city’s design
industry makes to culture and commerce. This year over 280 events and
exhibitions will take place, with indigenous industries collaborating with
international partners to create installations that are both thought
provoking and visually astounding. With so much on, the best way to plan
your visit is by visiting the LDF site, but check back here throughout the
week for galleries, blogs and updates about the 2011 event.

When: September 17-25
Where: throughout London, but the festival is based at the VA
museum.
Getting there: if you’re going to the VA, get the Tube to
South Kensington.
How much: it varies, but many events are free.

REDDRESS by Bernhard Ludewig, The Finnish Institute in London. Photo: LDF

London Fashion Week

While many of us continue to dwell on the disappointment that was summer 2011,
London’s fashion industry is looking resolutely forward: to summer 2012.
This week and next London
Fashion Week sees London-based designers present their S/S2012
collections to the world’s fashion press and buyers. Vivienne Westwood, Henry
Holland, Erdem, Todd
Lynn, Jonathan Saunders and Christopher Kane are all showing, but
although presentations and parties are being held throughout the city the
hoi polloi isn’t really invited. Virtually all official events are guestlist
only. There’s still plenty to see, however, with fashion students, wannabe
models and creatively attired aspiring bloggers providing excellent
people-watching opportunities throughout the city. Added to that, it’s a
particularly good week to plan a succession of nights out, as London’s
cafes, bars and clubs will be producing a host of slick, stylish events to
ensure international visitors realise we’re equipped to rival even the most
sumptuous offerings of New York, Milan and Paris. Celeb-spotting
opportunities and headline-grabbing displays of champagne-soaked,
recession-defying profligacy abound.

When: September 16-21
Where: shows and events take place throughout the city, but London
Fashion Week is headquartered at Somerset House.
Getting there: for Somerset House get the Tube to Covent Garden,
Temple, Charing Cross or Embankment
How much: free, generally. (If you’re on the list, that is.)

Fans of fashion at London Fashion Week. Photo: ALAMY

Westfield Stratford City Opening

The opening of a shopping centre doesn’t usually elicit national interest, but Westfield
Stratford City is a big deal. The largest urban shopping centre in
Europe, it covers 1.9 million square feet and is the result of a £1.45
billion investment. Once fully occupied some 300 shops and 70 food outlets
will be open to the public, with Waitrose, John Lewis and Marks
Spencer being the main anchors. Accessible to the public from Tuesday, the
centre will host celebratory events throughout the week, including an
opening concert by Nicole Scherzinger on Tuesday. Other events, such as
chocolate tastings at the Hotel Chocolat Cocoa Grower shop and DJ sessions
at Dwell, aren’t quite so exciting. If you hate sports but love shopping
you’ll probably end up visiting the site soon enough anyway. It stands
directly beside the Olympic Park, and approximately 70 per cent of visitors
to the Olympics will need to pass through Westfield to attend the Games. For
a look inside the centre and more facts about the space visit our gallery.

When: from September 13 onwards
Where: Westfield Stratford City, Stratford, E20
Getting there: by Tube to Westfield Stratford City
How much: free to enter, but it’s hoped you’ll spend a lot more.

A computer-generated image of the completed Westfield Stratford City.
Photo: WSC