It was the stuff of break-up folklore. Hooked into a glittering bustier with wings affixed to her lithe frame, model Bella Hadid floated down the Victoria’s Secret runway last week and right past her ex, The Weeknd, né Abel Tesfaye. Just weeks after their headline-making reported break-up, the former lovers were inches away from one another, the residue of heartbreak still fresh on them. Catching each other’s eyes, the emo troubadour and dark beauty exchanged knowing glances under the glittering halls of Paris’s Grand Palais, before Hadid lifted her wings, perhaps symbolizing her rising above the situation.
This meeting of exes seemed rife with tension (you could almost feel The Weeknd’s regret) but also had an undeniable grace. Bella, all of 20, handled one of the most unpleasant parts of dating with real maturity. True, the two were contractually obligated to share a space for the length of filming, but days later there was Bella again, name-checking and even thanking her pop-star ex in a heartfelt Instagram post. Appreciative of Tesfaye for lending his voice to the show’s star-studded soundtrack, Hadid wrote, “Thank you for being the best and most incredible performer on the planet. You KILLED it, as always.”
Accompanying a picture of their fateful run-in and peppered with emoji, the caption was either the perfect troll or a sincere sentiment. We’ll go with both. Regardless, it was safe to say that Hadid was winning their breakup by stylishly taking the upper hand.
It’s a difficult strategy to follow considering so often heartbreak can leave us bitter, jaded, and out for blood. Wanting to post anonymous missives about a cheating ex’s sex game on the Internet or leave all of their belongings strewn on the street outside your apartment building feels rather cathartic, but it’s a momentary pleasure. Soon enough you’re looking for a deeper sense of closure. Plus, ending a relationship with a violent outburst might leave your ex with a lasting impression—of, say, stalking his phone or throwing blunt objects at his head as he walks out the door. Better to be remembered for all your wonderful, nurturing qualities.
And the sad truth is leaving a relationship with your dignity intact is often the best way of creating a lasting image for him to wallow over. (To be sure, Tesfaye has lost sleep over his brush with a half-naked Hadid). As Hadid’s Instagram timeline has shown, the model has been using her timeline to try out and fastidiously document her new single lifestyle. Whether snapping a selfie of her chiseled six-pack or posting a reminder of her continued career success, Hadid appears like a woman who is truly above it all.
So if you’re also trying to find closure after a big breakup, why not slip on LNA’s Zimmer stretch-jersey sports bra with your Olympia Activewear silo cropped stretch leggings, and hit the gym? A jolt of endorphins will put you in better spirits. Gather your girls up for your first night out and slip on a Ban.do’s Strong Female Lead sweatshirt for an added boost of confidence. And for that fateful run-in, make sure to have him wanting more as you gracefully slip past him in your Paco Rabanne chain-mail-panel spaghetti-strap dress. Make sure to say “hello,” wish him well, and saunter off on the heels of those killer Balenciaga over-the-knee leather boots. It’s a look he won’t be able to get over.
