L'enfant terrible

Alexander McQueen, ever the rebel, sent shockwaves through Fashion Week every season. Today he gave us the biggest shock of all. Perhaps he has made the ultimate statement. Regardless, he has left behind a truly enduring legend. His collections, his master tailoring, his showmanship was unparelled. Fashion lovers everywhere are grieving, and for good reason. McQueen can shock us no more.

I wrote my very first runway review about McQueen's fall 2008 collection. His inspiration was an ancient tree, and from there he imagined an entire fairytale about a woodland sprite turning into a queen before our very eyes. Look after look echoed his fascination with Russian czarinas and a recent trip to India, all fused with otherwordly elegance. This is what McQueen did best. Fashion editors and fans everywhere are still talking about his spring 2010 "alien" shoes. Lady Gaga wore head-to-toe McQueen in "Bad Romance." His work is just so fresh, so utterly relevant, and sadly today his "McQ" runway show was understandably cancelled. We've lost the chance to see his imagination and craftsmanship at work. It goes without saying, but he will truly be missed.For a retrospective of some of McQueen's best work, click here.

For just a few of my favorites, see below:

Remembering Brittany Murphy

Back in 1994, a precocious teenager auditioned for her first movie role. She had prepared two scenes, had the required accent down pat, but was told "Thank you" after completing the first scene and dismissed.

"Wait," she cried. "I'd like a chance to do the other scene for you."

The casting agent laughed. "Relax!" he said. "We're going to call you back."

Sure enough, she got a callback. Then, after her screen tests, she officially landed the role.

Brittany Murphy delivered a standout performance in 1995's teen classic Clueless. Her adorable, spunky character Tai underwent a transformation, and in real life the actress followed suit. Brittany went from being a curvy, curly-haired brunette to a lithe blonde, like her co-star Alicia Silverstone. Not only did Brittany waltz off with Alicia's hair color and trim figure-- she also got her career.The roles that followed for Brittany included edgy performances in Girl, Interrupted and Don't Say a Word, as well as sugary-sweet roles in Uptown Girls and Just Married. Perhaps she was best at playing the on-screen version of herself: bright, bubbly, goofy, a little neurotic, but all-around lovable. I loved her best in films like Love and Other Disasters and The Ramen Girl, where that troubled-but-sweet spunk and personality shone through.Brittany was a bright talent and delightful to watch. I was always rooting for her. Like Heath Ledger and other stars whose lights burn out too soon, she had a promising future ahead and an already-great career behind her. The best was yet to come.

We'll be seeing you, Brittany. Hope it's not sporadically.