Imagine if Shaquille O’Neal, who stands at a gargantuan 7’1’’, decided to change career paths and instruct ballet. Or if Emeril Lagasse realized that he was tired of cooking, and instead chose to follow his passion for teaching step aerobics. Or what if Britney Spears came to the realization that her true calling in life was to teach kindergarten?

It all seems pretty ludicrous, right? But I am sure these questions more or less reflect the sentiment of the fashion industry when a string of celebrities decided they were somehow qualified to be designers.

The idea of a celebrity collaborating with a big-name retailer isn’t a new concept — think Kate Moss for Topshop, Miley Cyrus for Walmart, Hilary Duff for DKNY. But truthfully, those lines were really more about marketing the celebrity’s image to a line of mass-produced clothing than about the celebrity’s actual designs. In the past few months, however, a handful of celebrities have taken the plunge into designing, whether it be a collection created under the tutelage of a well-respected designer, or, for a brave few, an independent start-up line bearing their own name. Under the latter category falls what must be the worst celebrity-turned-clothing-designer collaboration to date: Lindsay Lohan for Emanuel Ungaro. Debuting in the first week of October, Lohan’s foray into the design field was deemed “an embarrassment” by Women’s Wear Daily, while The New York Times likened her new position at the design house to “something akin to a McDonald’s fry cook taking the reins of a three-star Michelin restaurant.”

Ouch. What could Miss Lohan possibly have sent out on the runway that incited such harsh criticism?

Perhaps it was the neon bandeau bra tops paired with acid-wash jeans. Or maybe it was the butt-cheek-baring white mini-dresses. But the real kicker was most certainly the glittery heart-shaped nipple pasties, which Lohan made a staple in her first collection for the famed couturiers.

With such examples of “artistic talent” being brought to the runway, fashionistas everywhere can’t help but wonder what fashion designers are thinking when they draft contracts for celebrity collaborations. Most of these faux-designers are singers or actresses, whose only real fashion experience comes from their ability to drop twenty grand during a single visit to Barney’s. Worse still is that the carefully-constructed ensembles that paparazzi capture celebs wearing aren’t even representative of their own style — a hired stylist like Nicole Chavez or Rachel Zoe created their look. The result is a slew of monotonous, celebrity-endorsed collections by people who don’t have enough creativity to dress themselves. It’s a shame that the real designers — the FIDM and Parsons students who fight tooth and nail to make a name for themselves in the fashion industry — are being replaced by celebutantes who simply drop their name and get a designing deal.

Though the trend of celebrity collections is dirtied up by a few dud collections — namely, Lohan’s, plus lines from The Hills stars Lauren Conrad and Heidi Montag — a few actresses have shown that they have what it takes to hit the runway. The Olsen twins, who detached their name from their “The Row” and “Elizabeth and James” lines, show serious potential with expertly crafted blazers and floaty, romantic skirts. Gwen Stefani, who has long been recognized for her quirky ska-punk ensembles, has channeled her signature style into the wildly successful L.A.M.B clothing and accessory line.

Slapping a celeb’s name onto a label certainly doesn’t make them a qualified fashion designer. But regardless of their credentials, it seems like the trend of silver-screen stars hitting the runway isn’t going away anytime soon. This doesn’t mean you’ll have to avoid celebrity designs entirely, but I would avoid those glittery nipple pasties — just to be on the safe side.