It's always sad to hear about celebrity couples breaking up. And I know, I should probably expect it, relationships in the public spotlight rarely ever last, but still, I get a little bit broken up whenever I hear about a truly great celebrity couple calling it quits. Take Kourtney Kardashian and Scott Disick: we all knew that that relationship was about as dysfunctional as a dinner party on The Office, but they were cute! They gave us hope! Without their relationship, we never would have been introduced to the glory that is LORD Disick, and seriously, could you imagine a world without that? I, for one, could not. And it's not like I spend that much time thinking about these couples when they are together, but it's just nice to know that they are there, doing their thing, fighting the odds of Hollywood couple survival rates. It's always sad to hear about a celebrity breakup.

When it comes to designer appointment at fashion houses, it's kind of similar to a celebrity relationship, in a way. You're taking two well-known names and pairing them together in the hopes that together, they will create something beautiful. You don't always know if they're going to work out at first. Some pairings at first seem downright boggling (like Raf Simons when he was given the job at Dior, in my humble opinion) but then you come around to seeing how absolutely magical they are together. Some couplings are simply inevitable—Jeremy Scott finally being given the reigns at Moschino was like waiting for Ashton Kutcher and Mila Kunis to finally get together. But just as it goes with celebrity relationships, designer appointments don't always go over so well. And it's always sad when that time comes.

Some choose to part on friendly terms, like Marc Jacobs did with Louis Vuitton. It was a devastating breakup but it was understandable. Marc pulled the "it's not you, it's me" trick and actually came away looking like a great guy, so props to him. Others are rather tumultuous (John Galliano's infamous departure from Christian Dior comes to mind). Those breakups can get ugly, but it's probably best for everyone involved that the two part ways.

But sometimes, there's a designer-fashion house breakup that comes out of left field, with little to no warning or explanation, that leaves you asking why. Why did this happen? What went wrong? How could we not see this coming? That breakup is, of course, the one between Alexander Wang and the house of Balenciaga.

A look from the Fall 2015 Balenciaga runway show

I had always been hesitant of the partnership back when Wang was appointed creative director of Balenciaga in 2013, as the young contemporary designer did not seem to fit the bill of designer for a legendary high fashion house. I admire Wang's talent, but personally I've never been over-the-top obsessed with his collections in the same way that many people are. They're okay, but they're never wow! If I had to speak of the two names in relation to a celebrity couple, I'd say they were Sean Penn and Charlize Theron, a totally WTF, how-did-those-two-ever-get-together couple. Yeah.

And yet, I didn't find myself absolutely hating the collections Wang produced for Balenciaga. In fact, his past two collections were among my collection highlights, with Fall 2015 really showing him coming into his stride at the fashion house. The clothes haven't been as revolutionary as they were when Nicholas Ghesquiere was at the helm, but they have been perfectly delightful nevertheless, and I actually thought things were going quite well for the Balenciaga brand. Sales have increased and the brand has been getting a lot of press thanks to celebrity fans. Wang's hip status has no doubt helped to youth-enize the brand. So it's not like he was a total failure or a business bomb. Financially, Balenciaga is doing fine.


If we must speculate, I'm going to pin it on personal decisions. Perhaps Balenciaga just wasn't the right fit for Wang, or perhaps he felt he should be focusing his efforts on his own namesake brand. As is the case with all publicized breakups, we may never know the truth, but no matter what the reasons for this particular breakup, it is sad. Hopefully Balenciaga can bounce back and find a partner who can treat her right and give her everything she deserves (I don't know why the Balenciaga brand is female, just go with me on this). As for Wang, this is a tough time but I think with some self-discovery and deep thinking he'll be able to bounce back. This breakup is sad, but we must look forward into the future and hope for the best. And if Alexander Wang can't satisfy Balenciaga, dare we ask who will be stepping up to the plate next?

Alexander Wang will show one final collection for Balenciaga at Paris Fashion Week next month. Let's hope it's a good swan song.

What are your thoughts on the Alexander Wang-Balenciaga split? Who should replace Wang?

Vera Wang | J. Mendel | Dior & Misha Nonoo | Balenciaga | Ralph Lauren | Valentino & BLK DNM

It can be challenging for an actress to move forward in her career when she has become defined by an incredibly memorable character. It happens a lot with television actors when audiences see the actors as the characters themselves, rather than separating fiction from reality. Emma Watson is no stranger to this issue, as she famously played the brightest witch of her age, Hermione Granger, in eight Harry Potter films over a decade. The Potter series has come to a close, but to many Watson will always be Hermione.

In 2014, however, she showed that she was so much more than a sweet and smart wizard—she has truly proven herself to be a talented actress and individual; in other words, Watson is no one hit wonder.

What were her biggest moments of 2014, you may ask? She starred in the biblical epic Noah alongside Russell Crowe and Jennifer Connelly, received her degree in English literature at Brown, and recently won the "Best British Style" award at the British Fashion Awards.

But perhaps her most shining moment of the year was her work with the United Nations as a UN Women Goodwill Ambassador, culminating in her September speech at the United Nations Headquarters advocating for gender equality and the HeForShe Campaign. She spoke eloquently and intelligently on the subject, showing that she is just as inspirational and smart (if not more so) as Hermione. It's so important, too, that we have a young actress who is well-known amongst the adolescent crowd that is setting a wonderful example and spreading a positive message of gender equality. When so many young actresses are quick to distance themselves from the feminist movement, it's good to know that good influences like Watson are proud to take on the label and fight for further equality.

Sure, Watson is chic as ever with her black and white ensembles, edgy jewelry, bright lip colors, and inventive hairstyles; there's a reason why she's in the front row at every major fashion show and winning awards for her incredible style. But more than anything, it is her success as a role model and activist that makes her one of 2014's top It Girls.

Watch Watson's Speech at the United Nations:

the laid-back luxe of the Resort 2014 collections

Though shown during summer when baring some skin is an expectation, resort clothes are meant for those mid-winter getaways when daydreams of cutoffs and tank tops ravage our minds until we just have to escape to some exotic locale for a break from the cold. So naturally, designers revel in letting their ladies show off a little skin.

Of course, the old mini-skirt and spaghetti strap have tired out, and in there place a new crop (pun unintended) of styles that allow women to show off their figures, get some sun, and look absolutely fresh.

the mesh dress

Derek Lam; Burberry Prorsum; Jason Wu; Elizabeth & James

 the crop top

Thankoon Addition; Theysken's Theory; Phillip Lim; Organic by John Patrick; Calvin Klein

Balenciaga; Gucci; Dries Van Noten

In an homage to the fluttering butterflies and blossoming flowers of spring, designers have turned slender model arms into blooming bells. The fit-and-flare sleeves are perfect for an easy fashion statement.

Combine with easy-fitting trousers or pencil skirt for a fabulous outfit.

Bumble bees, renewable energy, and Edie Sedgwick. Paris was an abundance of eclectic inspirations, but all in all some pretty strong conceptual shows came through.

Nicolas Ghesquière at Balenciaga experimented with sensuality by accentuating the curves and silhouettes of women. Chanel's Karl Lagerfeld, with a solar panel runway and windmills lining the Grand Palais, was influenced by renewable energy and energy in general, in more figurative meanings of the word. At Louis Vuitton, as with his synonymous collection, Marc Jacobs focused on the Mod movement of the Sixties with day-glo yellow checkerboard prints. Alexander McQueen's Sarah Burton used bees as her main inspiration- honeycomb hexagons, amber shades, and beekeeper headwear.

Paris, as usual, was full of hits. Here's the rundown of my favorite shows. What shows did you most enjoy?