Find out what’s heating up (and cooling down) in our weekly barometer of trends from fashion to pop culture.

Pretty vacant

Hold on to your PVC pants because pop culture is going punk again. Post-Happy Valley, the writer Sally Wainwright returns in the autumn with Riot Women on BBC1, the story of a group of middle-aged women who enter a talent contest as a punk band while they juggle demanding jobs and dodgy dates. “It’s scarily exciting,” Wainwright has said. In the real world, there’s the return of the Sex Pistols. The original members have reformed without John Lydon (Frank Carter is taking his place) — see them at Dreamland Margate plus a series of international dates.

A crop of newer bands are keeping the punk flame alive too: the Brighton duo Phoebe Lunny and Lilly Macieira play riot grrl-ish rock as Lambrini Girls (Iggy Pop is a fan) and the American hardcore-pop quintet Turnstile have just released their album Never Enough (Paramore’s Hayley Williams features on one song) — they’ll be playing a sold-out show at Alexandra Palace in November. Of course, tartan — a punk staple — remains a mainstay on the catwalk (seen at Burberry, Bally and Missoni) and don’t forget to check out Kidill’s oversized kilts, which the Japanese streetwear brand, run by Hiroaki Sueyasu, describes as “new punk”.

Doodling on your books is now A Thing

So much for not folding over the pages — in 2025, doodling on your favourite novel is de rigueur. First up is the trend for what book insiders are calling “spredges” — beautifully designed and colourful page edges that are being produced by publishers for fans of romantasy and young adult-type novels. It’s a clever marketing hack that links to a growing trend on TikTok, where young readers are spending hours annotating their favourite books and gifting them to friends. According to Maia Snow, the news editor at the industry bible The Bookseller, it’s called “schoolbook style” (it can vary from hearts around the romantic sections and ghosts around the scary bits to a sprayed map across the Percy Jackson series of books). Those taking part are usually “readers of things like romantasy, or romance books, and are often dismissed as not being ‘serious readers’, but I think this shows they are really invested in these books”, Snow says, adding that it’s a way for them to “closely engage with a book they really love”. As the romantasy genre continues to grow, the industry will react accordingly. “I think it’s possible they could start publishing editions specifically meant for this trend of annotating,” Snow says.

Flex your mussels

Bored with the Perello olive? This season’s snack to know is the smoked mussel. “Anchovies and olives have had their moment,” says Max Bergius, founder of Secret Smokehouse in London Fields. Their popularity, says Patrick Martinez, the founder of the Tinned Fish Market in Borough Market, is their ease. “They’re cocktail-stick friendly and easy to pick at,” he says. “It’s the product that most people request and come looking for. They’re often served in escabeche, a light, acidic sauce that’s refreshing in the hot weather.” This summer’s protein-filled snack also has a unique texture. “They have a bite but they’re tender too,” Martinez says. Part of the tinned-fish renaissance that’s been building over the past few years, your smoked mussels are best enjoyed with a crisp white wine or a cold beer, or try Martinez’s hack: consume “on a tortilla chip with sour cream and Tabasco”. Dig in!

Everyone’s talking about … Ella Beatty

“Not another nepo baby!” we hear you cry, but hold on, because while Ella Beatty may be the scion of Warren Beatty and Annette Bening, she’s fast proving her acting chops. Growing up on set with her parents, the 24-year-old went to the performing arts school Juilliard (alumni: Robin Williams, Viola Davis) and was the breakout star in Feud: Capote vs the Swans (in which she played Truman Capote’s surrogate daughter). She’s starred on Broadway in the acclaimed Appropriate (with Sarah Paulson), and appeared with Hugh Jackman in the intense two-handed play Sexual Misconduct of the Middle Classes. Next up is the story of the 19th-century axe murderer Lizzie Borden, reuniting Beatty with Feud creator Ryan Murphy. “There’s definitely a privilege that comes from having well-known actors as parents, and I totally acknowledge that. I don’t think that detracts from what I hopefully have to offer,” she has said. “I am who I am.”

One more thing …

It’s very nearly new-school-shoe time, which means no matter your age, this T-bar pair by Church’s are essential viewing. Crafted in nappa leather and finished with stud details, they are the perfect match for a kilt-and-sock combo. Or maybe to wear with this season’s pinafore dresses. A word of warning, though, steer clear of gingham.