UNMASKED

Conceal - reveal. We all love a little mystery.

"Masquerade!

Paper faces on parade.

Masquerade!

Hide your face, so the world will never find you!

Masquerade!

Every face a different shade.

Masquerade!

Look around -

there's another

mask behind you!"

- The Phantom of the Opera

Gisele-No-Last-Name-Needed in a half-mask. Ooh la la!

This Halloween, why not dress as a glamazon instead of a goblin? 
A fashion doyenne instead of a devil? The new motto is Balenciaga, not blood! 

HERE'S HOW...

The inspiration: last month's French Vogue fete in Paris, a grand masquerade for fashion's finest to celebrate the magazine's 90th anniversary. 

The location: the Hotel Pozzo di Borgo.

The guests: France's fanciest.

Natalia Vodianova in a barely there lace mask (would you hide that face?).

Anna dello Russo in a hat and mask combined, and dressed as - a warrior swan? 

Elettra Rossellini Wiedemann continues the half mask trend - is she a wisp of lace, or a bird in flight?

Diane Von Furstenberg, fearless as usual! She transforms into a bird of paradise.

These stylish ensembles reminded me of the best master of the mask in Hollywood. No, not Johnny Depp. The queen of masks is Madame Hepburn.

In Breakfast at Tiffany's, Audrey Hepburn frolics in the Five and Dime in a cat mask and orange funnel-necked coat. Meow!

Ms. Holly Golightly answers the door, replete in turquoise sleep mask and tassel earplugs. She no doubt awoke each morning on a glitter covered pillow...

In the 1960s film How to Steal a Million, Audrey looks the part of a debonair thief - even though what she's stealing is her own. Why not party in an homage to Hepburn and Mad Men? Lace mask? Darling little gloves? Check and check.

At the French Vogue party, Karolina Kurkova channels the Hepburn lace mask look.

In the film Marie Antoinette, Kirstin Dunst employes an equally glamourous concealment.

Other famous faces have enjoyed going behind the mask - here, Kate Moss bedazzles in an easy do-it-at home style.

Sienna Miller glams it up with a feathery mask cum headband.

How glamorous will you be this Halloween? 

Images:  French Vogue Party. Hepburn images here and here. Dunst in Marie Antoinette. Kate Moss here. And Sienna Miller.

PILE IT ON

Collecting beautiful things leads to beautiful problems - what to do with all of them? Show off, of course. Pile up those trinkets and treasures, spill out the frills and furbelows, spread about the brights and baubles. But first, a few rules...

THOU SHALT pile on mantels, desks, side tables, coffee tables, entryways, shelves, and vanities.

THOU SHALT NOT pile in closets, under beds, in bathrooms, children's rooms, or block any route you might need to escape in the event of fire, unexpected in-laws, etc.

Lovely mixes of every day things are what photographer Melanie Acevedo captures - these beautiful layerings of pattern and color elevate piles to an art form.

Mixing the practical and the fanciful (books, letters, trinkets) in an ad for One King's Lane - props for doing a fun piece of decor for a decor ad! 

Italian store Flair, NYC, creates a lovely golden palette with nature inspired objects (Lonny Magazine).

Kelly Wearstler makes table piles into an art form. I love her books, often featuring images of her own home(s), where pyramidal constructions of objets d'art tower over table-scapes - and no doubt cause some distress to the housekeeping staff (dusting these must be fun!).

In Herve Pierre's home (courtesy the Selby), the creative director for Carolina Herrera cultivates careful piles of curiosities - books, hatboxes, miniature architectural models, and perfume bottles.

Beloved magazine Domino shows the power of piling accessories - it doesn't hurt if they're all in the same color family.

Designer Todd Romano uses his piles as structural accents; placing similar items in pairs keeps things from looking too cluttered, but avoided identical sets keeps the look from becoming matchy-matchy. 

What about you? Are you a piler? Do tell!
Kelly Wearstler close up, Stylecourt.blogspot.com, other Wearstler photos, kwid.com. Domino vanity, gaitainteirors.com. Pierre apartment, theselby.com. Acevedo's photos, melanieacevedo.com, Todd Romano's room, toddromanohome.com. Others as previously attributed.

GOING GREEN

Haaaappy Friday! It's the end of the week, so let's go out with a big green bang.

Rachel Zoe is always going on and on and on about Oscar de la Renta, as if he were the most amazing designer in the discovered universe. Which he is. Oscar de la Renta was my first designer purchase, ever, and he will always have a special place in my heart (and my closet - right alongside his black satin bow shoes).

Oscar de la Renta's spring 2011 collection featured heavy doses of green jewelry, but you don't have to wait til spring to get your hands on some. Emerald green gems are big for fall - and why not? It goes great with tweed and cheetah print. Below, some beautiful chances to green things up.

Oscar de la Renta

Shop it Out

Images, companies as attributed.

YES YOU KHAN WEAR JEWELS

Browsing through Saks the other day, I stumbled across a line of jumbo jewels from Indian designer Ranjana Khan. The next best thing to my favorite vintage jewelry is vintage LOOKING jewelry, and in Khan's pieces, no one will ever suspect you haven't been up late nights in grandma's closet, wiring a few prized heirlooms together for a completely 2010 look. Khan's summer campaign captured the exquisite aesthetic of a modern heiress.

This season, Khan's pieces (available online at Neiman's and Sak's), include these beauties, with a touch of floral thrown in. I am in LOVE with those tassel earrings. How heavy are they? No idea, but they look to be worth a little suffering.

Who is else is excited about Khan? EVERYONE. Indian Vogue recently did a story, and Harper's and Town and Country (below) have featured her pieces, and Kim Cattrall wears them too!

Images, via Ranjana Khan.

BROOKS FOR FALL

There's something about Brooks Brothers - it's rather like the clothing version of Holly Golightly's Tiffany's. What can go wrong in felted wool, crisp cotton weave, gold buttons, and pinstripes? Well, a lot if you're a Wall Street banker. But the buttoned-up, timeless style is just what I love. It's always a comfort to know, regardless of the occasion, you'll look up to it. Their newer line, Black Fleece, is a slightly more modern nod imbued with the same classic sensibilities. And stripes. Care to take the Aston for a spin?

From the classic woman's line - Connecticut, I hear you calling!

Don't overlook BB's accessories. The Audubon brooch is just gorgeous!

All images, Brooks Brothers.