The Victoria & Albert Museum celebrate the opening of their newly refurbished fashion galleries with a major new exhibition celebrating British glamour.  Ballgowns: British Glamour since 1950 takes a broad swipe across haute couture fashion of the period, presenting more than sixty examples of eveningwear by designers including Zandra Rhodes, Norman Hartnell and Victor Stiebel.  Also included are new designs, fresh from the catwalk, from Alexander McQueen, Giles Deacon and Erdem.  This exhibition is part of the V&A's season on great British design.

Some of the most iconic of British designs are on display; think of the dresses worn in the most celebrated of celebrity moments: Princess Diana's 'Elvis' dress, as well as garments worn by figures including Beyonce, Bianca Jagger and Liz Hurley.  A stunning new dress created specifically for the exhibition has been created by Gareth Pugh.

In addition to the extensively decorated display, the museum have put together an entirely comprehensive exhibition package.  A series of events are being held, including study days detailing the glamorous tradition of the ballgown, their cultural significance and how the fashions have changed over the post-war period.  The V&A are also running a competition, where the winner will receive a weekend of British glamour: including a weekend's stay at Claridges, a makeover at Urban Retreat, afternoon tea at Harrod's.  Beautiful to the eye, this is not one to miss.

Ballgowns: British Glamour since 1950 is at the Victoria & Albert Museum until 06 January.

The coffeehouse has been an integral part of Britain's cultural heritage for hundreds of years.  As vital a role as coffee plays in all of our daily lives, there was a time in England (particularly in London) where coffee culture meant a lot more than grabbing a flat white on the way from the bus to the office. Manual Caff is a new idea in arts and coffeehouse culture, now on display at Store Street Espresso.

A collaborative project, Manual Caff deconstructs the architecture of today's coffeehouse to explore those minute elements that ultimately affect our routines and interactions.  The exhibition is comprised of many diverse aspects, but that all fall under the rubric of London's architecture trail.  The Manual Caff is a fantasy location brought to life.

There are physical objects that have been made specifically for Store Street Espresso: cushions, ashtrays, wall drawings all attract attention to a particular theme or motif that you may not have noticed before.  A newly commissioned photograph by Marcus Andren proposes potential narratives for how future lives of the coffeehouse may emerge.  The project will be documented in a manual (for the twenty-first century coffeehouse, as an instance), a catalogue and a website that will expand as the project unfolds.  The aim is to develop the venue to incorporate performances and talks.  To bring the significant history of the coffeehouse back to life.  If you think of it, in the city there are very few places more luxurious to be.  It's a wonderful concept, wonderfully brought to fruition.

Manual Caff is at Store Street Espresso until 20 October.

Uncommon Ground is the new show at Flowers Gallery, Kingsland Road.  It is a difficult thing the exhibition attempts to do - that is to explore a series of environmental concerns through the work of contemporary photography.  Its success is surprisingly satisfying.  The gallery has always had a reputation for thorough, well-intentioned and aesthetically pleasing displays; this exhibition demonstrates this further.

A wide range of artists are included in this show, including work by photographers and land art practitioners.  Edward Burtynsky, Andrea Galvani, Andy Goldsworthy, Scarlett Hooft Graaafland Nadav Kander, David Spero - and more.  Inspired by the work of Keith Arnatt and Gabriel Orozco, this exhibition explores how the environment intervenes in contemporary photography.  Sometimes, to understand something, it's worth trying to understand its opposite.  Instead of simply photographing nature, this exhibition documents how external elements intrude into environmental landscapes.  These are largely artist interferences.

One of the most rewarding aspects of visiting any of the three Flowers Gallery sites (either in East London, or West, or in Manhattan) is how clearly care has been taken to make a show that actually looks good; that is pleasing to the eye.  This is a sensual show, and it lives up to its objectives in giving the ol' cerebral cortex a thrill as well.  A very worthwhile way to spend some time in Shoreditch.

Uncommon Ground is at Flowers Gallery, 82 Kingsland Road, until 01 September.