It’s not easy to stand out during the Halloween season. Still, the crowd inside Ellen von Unwerth’s Halloween bash, held Saturday night at 11 Howard’s buzzy cocktail den, the Blond, managed to do so in spades. Billed as “Bloody Versailles,” the famed photographer looked to Louis XIV’s sprawling home and its opulent history for inspiration. “I just love the whole aristocratic scene, and it’s fun to mix it up with a New York vibe,” Von Unwerth told Vogue. “I love Halloween in New York because everybody goes crazy. The costumes are so beautiful and so full of fantasy. Everywhere I look is like a picture for me. It’s so brilliant.” The hostess herself opted for an homage to Marie Antoinette in a towering cotton-candy pink wig adorned with strands of pearls, and an apropos rococo blouson—its neckerchief dripping in blood.
Cutting a rug alongside her were the many models who frequent her lens including Riccardo Tisci muse Maria Borges, who donned a gilded scorpion ensemble that paired perfectly with the golden skeletons hanging from all corners of the room. Also playing along were Chris Gelinas and his merry band of pals who came disguised as the cast of The Handmaid’s Tale, and Brother Vellies creative director, Aurora James, whose Alice in Wonderland look came complete with a crown of fresh roses and wisps of baby’s breath. And yet, despite all of the decadence, the party was not complete until burlesque performer extraordinaire Mosh surprised the room with a masterfully choreographed show that left her glittering body suit lying on the dance floor.