2015: The Year of Giving Up

Zayn quit to “be a normal 22-year-old,” Raf left for “personal reasons,” Kourtney and Scott split because, well, someone came to their senses. Were you anyone in 2015 if you didn’t give up on something? Everywhere you looked, someone was dropping out, getting fired, breaking up, folding or simply throwing their hands up in the air with utter resignation. Giving up was in vogue, making an effort wasn’t. It’s no coincidence that 2015 was the year “ghosting” entered our vocabulary. In case you missed it, here’s a complete list of everyone who gave up this year, and maybe for good reason.

January: Frida Giannini leaves Gucci an entire month earlier than expected, leaving the fall collection in the hands of the yet unknown Alessandro Michele. Later, he becomes darling of fashion world. She married former Gucci chief executive Patrizio di Marco and has not returned to fashion.

February: Kelly Osborne quits E!’s Fashion Police after a tiff with co-host Giuliana Rancic. Iggy Azalea quits social media, writing “The Internet is the ugliest reflection of man kind there is.” She returns in June to promote a new single.

March: Zayn Malik leaves One Direction to “be a normal 22-year-old who is able to relax and have some private time out of the spotlight.” Yes, just like all those other “normal” 22-year-olds out there.

April: Miley Cyrus and Patrick Schwarzenegger break up, and then Miley starts dating women.

May: Band of Outsiders shutters, Scott Sternberg declines to “comment on the future of the brand.” Small framed men everywhere shed a tear. The label returns briefly at discount store Filene’s Basement for a Black Friday sale. Small framed men everywhere shed a tear, again.

June: Donna Karan steps down from DKNY. Ben Affleck and Jennifer Garner end ten years of marriage. A nanny is blamed.

July: After three years, Alexander Wang ends his tenure at Balenciaga, the first of the major shake-ups at the highest levels of international fashion; he is replaced with hotshot Vetements designer Demna Gvasalia. Kourtney Kardashian and Scott Disick split, finally.

August: Dov Charney is forced out of American Apparel. Kermit the Frog and Miss Piggy split in a marketing ploy to promote the new Muppets sitcom.

September: Ralph Lauren steps down as chief executive of his namesake empire. Net-a-Porter founder Natalie Massenet leaves after the luxury e-tailer joins forces with Yoox. It’s announced that Harold Koda will be leaving the Metropolitan Museum’s Costume Institute. Lena Dunham stops checking Twitter. Amanda Seyfried and Justin Long break up after two years. Rick Perry becomes the first high-profile Republican candidate to drop out of the presidential race.

October: Raf Simons leaves Dior, citing “personal reasons.” Alber Elbaz and Lanvin enjoy a very acrimonious split, the repercussions of which are still being fought in French courts. Tom Ford quits the runway, shows spring in music video starring Lady Gaga. The Democrat Lincoln Chafee – who? – drops out of the presidential race. Playboy decides to stop featuring nudity, teenage boys everywhere shrug – they haven’t been getting their nudes from Playboy in years. Snapchat is where it’s at.

November: Except for Essa O’Neil, who bids a tearful farewell to all social media. Joe Jonas and Gigi Hadid give up on their united bliss. She’s doing fine with our first quitter, Zayn.

December: Jonathan Saunders shutters his label. Ed Sheeran quits social media too. By then you knew that even giving up had become passé.