OCTOBER CULTURE EDIT

FASHION

LEANDRA MEDINE X MANGO

Expect some kooky magic when Leandra Medine (of Man Repeller fame) launches her debut capsule collection for Mango. Sign. Me. Up.

PRINGLE OF SCOTLAND X H&M

H&M has collaborated with British knitwear label Pringle of Scotland to bring you a limited-edition collection of stylish winter woollies. Think heritage Argyle knits, a printed silk scarf and elevated sportswear. Move over Giambattista Valli, Pringle is the H&M collab we are waiting for… 3 October.

WONDER BOY

A documentary following the designer Olivier Rousteing’s journey to find his biological mother. Rousteing is considered a prodigy in the fashion industry– making history when he received the job of Creative Director at Balmain aged just 24. The film, directed by Anissa Bonnefont, will interweave both his personal and professional journeys. 16 October.

FOOD

SILO

This month, Brighton’s trailblazing zero-waste restaurant Silo is relocating to Hackney Wick. Think countertops made from recycled glass bottles, plates made from plastic bags, a simple wood-burning stove in the kitchen and an “aerobic digester” which turns food scraps into fuel. If this all sounds a bit hessian weave, no fear— the menu boasts dishes like roasted chicken with walnut pesto and confit rabbit served with nettles, parsnip and barley. Sustainable and scrumptious in equal measure. Unit 7 Queens Yard, Hackney Wick. www.silolondon.com

LINA STORES — KING’S CROSS

Soho institution Lina Stores is opening a huge restaurant-come-deli in King’s Cross near Granary Square. Housed inside a Victorian transit shed, Lina’s latest outpost retains all the pedigree of its older sister while bringing some of its very own North London charm. Expect a menu groaning with Italian crowd-pleasers— osso bucco ravioli with bone marrow butter anyone? 20-21 Stable Street, King’s Cross. www.linastores.co.uk

SWEET CHICK

Purveyors of the “best fried chicken and waffles in New York City”— American rapper Nas opens the first British branch of his cult fried chicken restaurant just off Oxford Street. Comfort food at its finest. 8 Market Place, Fitzrovia. www.sweetchick.com

BOOKS

LIFE UNDERCOVER: COMING OF AGE IN THE CIA

Former American spy, Amaryllis Fox, pens her memoir about working in the CIA during her twenties— complete with codenames, Al-Qaeda, and helicopters waiting out back. A real-life ALIAS. Although the author has no time for fictional spy tales and believes James Bond is ridiculous— in the real world of espionage, “one street chase and my cover is blown for life.” 15 October.

GRAND UNION: STORIES

There’s a new green book in town! Zadie Smith’s first short story collection is a stunning tableau exploring the complexities of modern life. Her characteristic high/low writing style is perfection in prose form. Grand Union combines 11 new stories with some of her best-loved pieces from The New Yorker and elsewhere. 3 October.

PODCASTS

HELP I SEXTED MY BOSS

Radio 1’s Jordan North and the UK’s leading etiquette expert (is there more than one?!) William Hanson dissect the trials and tribulations of 21st Century life. Last season’s conumdrums included how to make a French exit from your ex’s family WhatsApp group and how to proceed if you cat eats a condom. Wild times.

THE GREAT WOMEN ARTISTS

Follow one woman’s mission to single handedly rewrite art history’s male gaze. As the continuation of her popular @thegreatwomenartists Instagram account, art historian and curator Katy Hessel launches her brand new podcast with the same goal: celebrating female artists and finally giving them their dues.

ART

GAUGUIN PORTRAITS

Your favourite fauvist hits The National Gallery with the first ever exhibition of his portraits. About time, hey? Apparently, Gauguin created portraits that reflected more on himself and his complex psyche than on the models themselves. As a man known for his narcissistic personality, that’s rather fitting. 7 October.

FRIEZE

The art fair returns to London’s Regents Park to showcase the world’s leading contemporary artists, aka Instagram catnip. This year’s highlights include the London/Delhi-based artist Himali Singh Soin who’s been commissioned to create a piece exploring the ‘state of the nation’. Expect anarchy. 3-6 October.

LUCIAN FREUD: THE SELF-PORTRAITS

In a world first, more than 50 of Lucian Freud’s self-portraits are brought together by The Royal Academy. Spanning nearly seven decades, this new exhibition gives a fascinating insight into his evolution as a painter – from the linear graphic works of his early career to the fleshier, spontaneous style he is now synonymous with. 27 October.

FILM

THE LAUNDROMAT

Meryl Streep, Gary Oldman and Antonio Banderas star in Steven Soderbergh’s chaotic dramatisation of the Panama Papers scandal— the 2016 leak that revealed the complex web of tax avoidance schemes operating all over the world. Netflix on 18 October.

LADYWORLD

A female retelling of Lord of the Flies. This time round 8 teenage girls are trapped inside a house party following an earthquake— a toxic scenario at the best of times. With each passing hour, the teens slowly descend into madness as they attempt to find a way out. A surreal psychological thriller with rising star Maya Hawke (daughter of Ethan and Uma Thurman). 19 October.

BFI LONDON FILM FESTIVAL

Roll out the red carpet the BFI London Film Festival is here. Expect a packed programme of new film screenings, premieres, gala evenings, and networking events. Popcorn at the ready! 2-13 October