ART OF ADORNMENT

HUMAN BEINGS HAVE BEEN STYLING OUR HAIR WITH BEADS, BRAIDS AND BANDS SINCE THE UPPER PALEOLITHIC ERA, ALSO KNOWN AS THE OLD STONE AGE, ROUGHLY 30,000 YEARS AGO. FOR THIS SERIES OF PHOTOS, STYLIST AND SET DESIGNER MEGAN CAPONETTO TOOK INSPIRATION FROM ANOTHER AGE-OLD TRADITION: EMBROIDERY. HER MISE-EN-SCÈNE FEATURES INDUSTRIAL CORD OR METAL BEADING AS AN ELEGANT STAND-IN FOR YOUR STANDARD PLAIT. PHOTOGRAPHER RICHARD PIERCE CREATED MODERN, STRUCTURALLY FOCUSED IMAGES THAT ELEVATE EVEN THE SIMPLEST BOBBY PIN TO ICON STATUS.

EASY ELEGANCE

The simplest things can be the most beautiful. Featuring a black resin hair slide by France Luxe.

UNDERSTATED CHIC

LEFT: Classic pearls on this Banana Republic pin give just the right amount of decoration to create the illusion of “I made an effort” to five- second styling. RIGHT: A rubberized clip from Free Press catches the light. With its chunky beads, this barrette is perfect to finish off a Brigitte Bardot look.

TWENTIES THROWBACK

One wide metallic bobby pin like this one by 1907 will give you a minimalist chic look, while several placed on one side of a slicked-back ’do will evoke classic finger waves.

A BOLDER BRAID

This L. Erickson braided leather headband is at home in the textured landscape of box braids.

INFINITY AND BEYOND

The Noeud Ajouré barrette called “Bastille” from Alexandre de Paris commands attention with an orderly, simple shape. Section off the hair from the crown of your head, pull back, and secure with this clip. Then, take the hair below and combine into a ponytail at the base of your neck. Open a section in the middle above the hair tie and flip the ponytail inside out. The result will be two elegant knots.