Originally published on Tuesday, 2nd July 2013

The Culturist: July

Considering that most of London seems to have upped sticks this month, there's an endless supply of happenings on the cultural calendar. Go high fashion at Somerset House and the V&A, celebrate 4th July (or wait a day and do so at the Shake Shack grand opening), eat at Bone Daddies' latest Japanese izakaya, or simply stock up on kitchen book must-haves. And you might finally get to see Sergei Polunin in action. Maybe.

PHOTOGRAPHY: MILES ALDRIDGE: I ONLY WANT YOU TO LOVE ME

July 10 – September 28, £6, Embankment East Galleries, Somerset House, Strand, WC2R 1LA

British fashion photographer Miles Aldridge will, for the first time, have a major retrospective of his work displayed at Somerset House, in line with the launch of his new book I Only Want You To Love Me. Expect nothing short of the hyperreal, glossy photo fiction Aldridge is known for – a smashed ketchup bottle here, a modern Venus there – all charged with his stamp: sex, technicolour, and a Fellini-esq, Lynchian undercurrent. From July 12 there will also be a parallel show, Short Breaths, at Brancolini Grimaldi, which features 32 large-scale prints exploring sensuality and malaise in modern life.

4TH JULY: BLUE PLATE

July 4, £19.95 per person, 85 Chiswick High Road, W4 5TT

If you're planning to get involved in 4th July festivities, do so at Blue Plate in Chiswick (it'll be worth the trek). From the guys that brought you Outsider Tart and the famed Whoopie Pie – David Muniz (from Mississippi) and David Lesniak (from NY) – comes Blue Plate, a straight-talking soul food eatery. This Thursday they'll be putting on an all-you-can-eat BBQ complete with baby back ribs, "smothered" hotdogs, pulled pork, chilli mac and macaroni salad. You can always pop next door to Outsider Tart for afters. Americana aficionados should also book in for their Saturday night "Route 66: Around the States in 50 Dates" events: last week they served sugar-crusted salmon and moose chilli á la Alaska, next week it's all about Sonoran hot dogs and Tamale pie from Arizona. Hot diggity.

4TH JULY: BLUE PLATE

July 11 – July 14, from £20, St Martin's Lane, WC2N 4ES

The bad boy of ballet, Sergei Polunin, is back in London after last month failing to turn up for his lead in Midnight Express (and, before that, he walked out of the Royal Ballet). He will play Franz, the red-blooded male lead in Roland Petit's 1975 version of comic ballet Coppélia, which debuts at the London Coliseum this month. Set in a spooky toyshop, Franz falls in love with a life-size dancing doll (created by the eccentric Dr Coppelius), until his jealous lover Swanhilda shows him his folly by dressing up as the doll. Book now to avoid disappointment – there are only six performances.

FUN: CLUB TO CATWALK: LONDON FASHION IN THE 80S

July 10 – February 16, £5, V&A, Cromwell Road, SW7 2RL

Whether you were born in it or lived through it, the 1980s were a defining decade – and the V&A seems to agree. This summer it is hosting an explosive exhibition that explores the symbiotic relationship between clubbing and catwalks in the period. The 85 outfits on display – ranging from Westwood and Galliano to Patrick Cox and Stephen Jones – celebrate the different style camps such as "Glam Fetish", "High Camp" and "New Romantic", all of which were portrayed in magazines such as i-D and Blitz, and donned at the likes of Heaven, Taboo and Camden Palace.

BOOK #1: CEVICHE PERUVIAN KITCHEN

Release July 4, £25, Published by Weidenfeld & Nicolson

Martin Morales can do no wrong. He brought Peruvian pizzazz (also known as pisco…) to Soho early last year, is planning a Shoreditch opening, started Tiger Milk Records, an aptly named independent record label dedicated solely to old-school Peruvian beats, and, this week, his book Ceviche Peruvian Kitchen is released. The book will feature 100 recipes, including how to make the perfect ceviche – fresh fish, just enough lime, a chilli kick and a pinch of ground sea salt. For the out-of-towners, Ceviche will be touring the country until July 14, stopping off in Bristol, Manchester, Edinburgh, Loch Fyne and more.

FILM: THE BLING RING

Out July 4, from £13.75, Curzon Soho, 99 Shaftesbury Avenue, W1D 5DY

Sofia Coppola's much-anticipated zeitgeist drama about the celeb-obsessed, Facebook generation finally sees its release date this month. Rather than pass judgement on the Bling Ring, the gang of middle-class teens from the LA 'burbs who used the internet to rob celebs like Paris Hilton and LiLo, the film is an ironic commentary on today's selfie society.

MUSIC: THE BIG DREAM BY DAVID LYNCH

Out on July 15, Available to pre-order here

Director – and now musician (and coffee maker!?) – extraordinaire David Lynch is releasing his second LP this month, The Big Dream, which features modern blues songs and a Bob Dylan cover –ndash; or rather, a cover of a Nina Simone cover of Bob Dylan track. Our fingers are still crossed for a Twin Peaks comeback.

EAT: FLESH AND BUNS

Opens mid-July, 41 Earlham Street, WC2H 9LX

From the people that brought you popular ramen shack Bone Daddies comes the next lesson in Japanese eating. Based on a laid-back izakaya, the restaurant will serve hirata-style buns (which originated in Taiwan), with different fillings – classic pork, shoulder of lamb, baby chicken with yuzu kosho and robata-grilled seabass – with a Build Your Own Bun option. The menu will also feature a raw section with sashimi and oysters, small plates (maki, yakitori, tempura, karaage) and desserts – we'll be having the kinako doughnuts with black sugar custard. Drinks will come in the form of frozen yuzu margaritas, beer and house-infused sakes.

EXHIBITION: AMY WINEHOUSE: A FAMILY PORTRAIT

July 3 – Sept 15, £7.50, The Jewish Museum, Raymond Burton House, 129-131 Albert Street, NW1 7NB

The Jewish Museum, along with members of the Winehouse clan, have curated Amy Winehouse: A Family Portrait, a personal exhibition to celebrate what would have been the late singer's 30th birthday. See a personal side beyond the towering beehive and tattoos. There's personal history – her grandmother Cynthia, with whom she was very close, dated Ronnie Scott in the 1940s – photographs galore, old records, her guitar, and many of her signature dresses, all set, quite poignantly, in her beloved Camden.

EXHIBITION: AMY WINEHOUSE: A FAMILY PORTRAIT

Release July 4, £26, Published by Saltyard Books

Chef wunderkind Florence Knight launches her first book this week, entitled One: A Cook and her Cupboard. As the title suggests, the premise is taking one core component such as olive oil, salt or chocolate, and making something original. Plus, news just in, Florence will be back in action at Polpetto in November. Russell Norman and Richard Beatty have secured a site on Berwick Street, which will feature an open kitchen, 70 covers (triple the size of the old one) and an aperitivo bar.

GREY GOOSE ICONOCLASTS OF TASTE

Iconoclasts of Taste | @GreyGooseRSVP | Facebook | Youtube

This year, Grey Goose is supporting a new movement to seek out and support emerging "Iconoclasts of Taste" – people who challenge traditional thinking to create something groundbreaking – in food and drink. A panel of four already-established Iconoclasts, including Tony Conigliaro, Nuno Mendes, Giles Deacon and Carrie Scott, has chosen three iconoclasts. The first, Tasha Marks, wants to change the way we think about what we eat by presenting food as art. Through her company Animal Vegetable Mineral, Tasha seeks to create a contemporary cabinet of edible curiosities that is silly and cerebral in equal measures. To support Tasha's vision, and to find out about her upcoming workshops, click here.

FUEL YOUR SUMMER: DJ LAB WITH NIKEFUEL AND URBAN JUNKIES

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To enter for a pair of tickets please email This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. and tell us why you want to attend this event. Please also state your DJ ability: beginner/intermediate/advanced. You will be notified by July 3 if you are successful.

Next up in our Fuel Your Summer series with NikeFuel is a DJ Lab at Shoreditch Grind with DJ Kaz James on July 10. Guests will be split into groups and given a DJ masterclass before heading upstairs to the studio to create an anthem for the evening – get moving with maracas and tambourines – fuelled by Espresso Martinis and food platters. The group that earns the most NikeFuel wins, and may even be joining Kaz, who'll be playing a set to round off the evening.