Manhattan model Karen Rempel as Frank'n'Furter from the Rocky Horror Picture Show

Sweet Transvestite

The Rocky Horror Picture Show (1975) is my favorite movie of all time. I’ve seen it at least 30 times. I’ve gloried to dress as Frank’n’Furter in a corset and fishnet stockings more than once. When the new glass elevators were revealed at the 14th Street subway station, the iconic elevator scene from the Rocky […]

Read More
Dancing at the YMCA

Dancing at the YMCA

This is a first for Karen’s Quirky Style—Karen in drag! Were you wondering who that mustached dude was? Ha, it’s me! This is my attempt to appear as dreamy as Randy Jones, the captivating cowboy from the Village People. Why did I take it in my head to do this, you ask? The spark was […]

Read More
Manhattan model Karen Rempel in the garden at the Hotel Chelsea Lobby Bar

Chelsea Popsicle

At the Hotel Chelsea you can check out any time you like, but you won’t ever want to leave. With the recent opening of the rooftop spa on the eleventh floor of the hotel at 222 West 23rd Street, there are even more reasons to visit and linger. The spa offers luxurious facials, massages, and […]

Read More

Salmagundi Celebration

The Salmagundi Club of New York is one of the country’s oldest arts organizations, founded in 1871 by artists and patrons to support one another. The clubhouse occupies a beautiful, landmarked brownstone at 47 Fifth Avenue. Originally built in 1853 for Irad Hawley, president of the Pennsylvania Coal Company, and his wife Sarah, it’s the […]

Read More
Manhattan model Karen Rempel greets Daisy the Double-Decker

Daisy the Double-Decker

The year is 1973. On the Buses is rolling out of the depot for the last time after a four-year run on the BBC. Daisy the Double-Decker has seen it all. I was the big fan of the show, which introduced me to the depths of the double-decker bus and British humour. So naturally I […]

Read More
Manhattan Model Karen Rempel at Travelers Poets & Friends

Travelers Poets & Friends

It’s time for celebration as Travelers Poets & Friends brings the sunny flavors of Italy to the neighborhood. The heartful Italian café market, wine bar, restaurant and bakery is centered between the Pamina gelato shop and the elevated Italian restaurant, Alaluna. The storefront at Sixth Avenue and West 11th Street sat empty for three years […]

Read More
Karen Rempel Voguing Cherry

Voguing Cherry Blossom

Hello friends, this month I visit Chelsea’s new gallery on the block, Hauser & Wirth Editions at 443 West 18th Street. Trees are flaunting their blossoms and I feel like voguing in wearable art by Engineered by Andrea T. This fantastical pink pouffe mocks the cherry blossoms, embellishing a slim black dress with Andrea’s trademark […]

Read More
Manhattan model Karen Rempel savors the sparkling speakeasy cocktail vibe in Chelsea Living Room.

Celebrating Five Years!

Hello friends, I am delighted to welcome you to the 5th anniversary column of Karen’s Quirky Style! And to announce that my column has been picked up by Straus News! This month’s column appeared in both The Chelsea News and Our Town Downtown, with a combined readership of 50,000! My column is syndicated! New Shoe […]

Read More
West Village model Karen Rempel at Manhattan's Gansevoort Peninsula

At the Beach!

Manhattan’s first beach, the unimaginatively named Gansevoort Peninsula, opened in October 2023. When choosing the location for this month’s column, I wanted to keep the beach action going after a quick trip I made to play on la playa in Puerto Vallarta in January, so I decided to head for our new beach on the […]

Read More
West Village model Karen Rempel prays for a Zen 2024

Zen for All

Happy New Year, dear readers. I hope that 2024 will be more Zen for all. For the dramatic look in this month’s column, I was inspired by an article in the New York Times about Sukeban wrestling—a fashionable and fun new Japanese style of women’s wrestling. The women’s costumes, makeup, and signature fat braids are […]

Read More
Karen Rempel's Feathered Fantasy at Erskine Printers Building East Village

Anaïs Feather Fantasy

The Erskine Press building at 17 East 13th Street is currently the home of the Singaporean cocktail bar Singlish. But the Village Preservation plaque to the left of the doorway yields a clue to a rich literary history. Butterick Publishing Company I love that in the 1890s, Butterick printed their women’s dress patterns at this […]

Read More
West Village Model Karen Rempel at Eisenberg's Diner

Eisenberg’s Diner Song

The way that businesses open and close in New York, hearts are broken and new love affairs begin. It can be hard to keep track. Is it S&P? Is it Eisenberg’s? Answer = All of the Above. A Little History I’m sure many of you know and love the venerable Fifth Avenue lunch counter directly […]

Read More

Northern Lights

This month, I went with my crew to another iconic New York literary destination, which also claims to be NYC’s oldest original bar and restaurant, Pete’s Tavern. This combined many of my favorite things: New York history, literature, yummy cocktails and food, and gorgeous quirky fashion. Pete’s is located at 129 East 18th Street at […]

Read More
West Village model Karen Rempel poses as Mrs. Mole at Toad Hall

Mrs. Mole

Toad Hall is a charming neighborhood pub in SoHo, named after the famous manor in The Wind in the Willows. Drinks prices are pre-pandemic, and there’s a gorgeous pool table in the back. Phil happened upon this little-known spot on a mid-afternoon meander and stayed for a beer. The bar is over 100 years old, […]

Read More
West Village Model Karen Rempel honors Elton John in front of the plaque for the historic Fillmore East music venue where Elton first played in NYC

Electric Boots

My first memory of Elton John’s music is listening to “The Bitch Is Back” at my Aunty Lynne’s house in Penticton, BC. I was playing with my sister Kim and cousins Denise and Sherry, while my aunt and Uncle Dwayne were enjoying a few beers, listening to Elton John on a sunny summer afternoon in […]

Read More
West Village Model Karen Rempel grooving on Tina Turner outside Wigs and Plus

Wigs for Tina

With the passing of Tina Turner on May 24 to a place that surely awaits the world’s most beloved entertainers, this month’s column is brimming with celebration and sadness. How to reconcile losing the ones we love? The heart cries out: Let’s Stay Together. An Inspiring Role Model Tina has always been there, an inspirational […]

Read More
Our beautiful Carrie is back

And Just Like Éclat

Do you remember the heartbreaking final scene in And Just Like That, Season 1, when Carrie (Sarah Jessica Parker) scattered Big’s ashes into the River Seine? Just as Season 1, Episode 1, made us cry when Big died, Episode 10 closed off the first year of Carrie’s grief with a call-back to the music playing […]

Read More
West Village model Karen Rempel on Carrie Bradshaw's Stoop

Sex and My City

Candace Bushnell, Carrie Bradshaw, Sarah Jessica Parker… Fabulous women, both real and fictional! Sex and the City (SATC) turned twenty-five on June 6, and Season 2 of the SATC reboot, And Just Like That, premieres on June 22. For my 50th Karen’s Quirky Style column, I want to celebrate the gorgeous, glamorous, talented women of […]

Read More
West Village Model Karen Rempel is chillin' in a space-age bonnet

Bashing Bonnets

Back to the Future at the Bonnet Bash. West Village model Karen Rempel and her pal Jeff Reid duel it out while joined at the hip at the National Arts Club’s 2023 Bonnet Bash, with props from Denny Daniels’s Museum of Interesting Things. Photo by Denny Daniels. This year’s Bonnet Bash at the National Arts […]

Read More
West Village Model Karen Rempel at Fanelli's Cafe in Soho

Fanelli Carousel

The sheer pleasure of summer bliss in a sea of winter men at Fanelli’s Café in Soho. A dear friend from Jersey City took me to the beloved Fanelli Café on an early trip to New York. It was nighttime and glowing spots of candlelight lit the winter-dark café. Mike told me stories about the […]

Read More
West Village Model Karen Rempel at Hector's Cafe

Littlest Island

Digging it! Phil just had to take a photo of me standing in this digger on our way to Little Island. He’s such a guy!  Jutting into the Hudson River, Little Island is a bite-sized, low-commitment park. You can follow the path to the peak in less than 10 minutes, enjoying stunning views of Manhattan, […]

Read More
West Village model Karen Rempel plays a happy hooker at the Liberty Inn

Happy Hooker

Love for sale? Last August, I learned the sad news that the Meatpacking District’s last remaining “short stay” hotel, the Liberty Inn was up for sale. I hadn’t been aware of the inn, though I’d walked past it many times, but I was devastated that Manhattan was losing another tree in the garden that gave […]

Read More
West Village Model Karen Rempel at Hector's Cafe, in the style of Edward Hopper

Hopper at Hector’s

Karen Rempel’s artistic rendering of a Philip Maier photo, capturing the alienation of Edward Hopper’s Automat. Hector’s Café and Diner, at the corner of Little West 12th Street and Washington, has been serving meatpackers three squares a day since 1949. Open at 3 a.m., it’s always a beacon in the shadow of the High Line […]

Read More
West Village Wonder Woman Karen Rempel

Truth Wrangler

I was a girl during the first golden age of feminist television, from 1976 to 1978, when we had an intoxicating fistful of superwomen role models: Wonder Woman with Lynda Carter, the Bionic Woman starring Lindsay Wagner, and Charlie’s Angels with Farah Fawcett, Jaclyn Smith, and Kate Jackson. Like Wonder Woman herself, who grew up […]

Read More
West Village Model Karen Rempel at Manuel Plaza

Caskets and Cobblestones

Ascend the stoop to the Merchant House Museum at 29 East Fourth Street, between Lafayette and the Bowery, and you might be surprised at what you find. No staid merchants in striped pants and tailcoats are in evidence. But there’s a circa-1860s casket and viewing in the front parlor, and a death scene in the […]

Read More
West Village Model Karen Rempel puts a spell on you

Badass Reputation

“Girls don’t play rock’n’roll,” 13-year-old Joan Jett’s guitar teacher told her. Two years later, she founded The Runaways, together with drummer Sandy West. Don’t tell a girl no! My Uncle Dwayne gave my sister and me The Runaways’ second album, Queens of Noise, for Christmas 1977, along with nine other best-selling albums from that year, […]

Read More
West Village Model Karen Rempel in EAT's Tuxedo Dress

Kinky Kimono

Stop this day and night with me and you shall possess the origin of all poems… Do you recognize this geometric structure? I am sure every West Villager does—it is instantly recognizable! It is of course the New York City AIDS Memorial at Seventh Avenue and West 12th Street. Unveiled for World AIDS Day on December 1, […]

Read More
West Village Model Karen Rempel adjusts her hat in the window of Electric Lady Studios

Electric Ladybug

Electric Lady Studios is a mystical Village lodestone with a platinum rock’n’roll pedigree. Founded by Jimi Hendrix in August 1970, the studio opened a mere three weeks before his tragic accidental death due to an overdose of sleeping pills in London. He was 27. If you’ve read Patti’s Smith’s memoir Just Kids, perhaps you remember […]

Read More
West Village Model Karen Rempel in Father Demo Square

Trash Splash

Dear readers, you know that I’m proud to be a New Yorker and I love this city passionately. Last Saturday, when we did this photo shoot, was the first time I felt ashamed of my city, and of myself by association. I had arranged to meet photographer Phil and lighting assistant Amy in Father Demo […]

Read More
West Village Model Karen Rempel gazes at the Jefferson Market Library

Lolling at the Library

West Village model Karen Rempel gazes across Sixth Avenue, waiting for the Jefferson Market Library to open. Photo by Philip Maier. I stayed at the iconic Washington Square Hotel on my first trip to New York, in 2014, because of its literary history and proximity to the Blue Note. I soon encountered the marvelous Jefferson […]

Read More
West Village model Karen Rempel steps Out of the limelight into the daylight

In the Limelight

Fifteen years after the final iteration of the infamous Chelsea nightclub in the deconsecrated Gothic Revival church at the corner of Sixth Avenue and West 20th Street closed, the wild energy of Limelight is still as infectious as the latest Covid variant. The iconic NYC dance club Limelight opened in 1983, and in its heyday […]

Read More
West Village model Karen Rempel - Karen's Quirky Style - Waiting for Mick

Waiting on Mick

West Village model Karen Rempel waits for Mick Jagger on St. Mark’s Place. He’s late. Photos by Philip Maier. This corner is obviously the coolest spot in New York City! I’m sitting by a graffiti’d doorway at the corner of St. Mark’s Place and Avenue A. It looks like the bar might be deserted, but […]

Read More
Diane Warren's boombox handbag at the 2022 Oscars

Red Carpet Songstresses

I don’t watch the Oscars every year, but this year I was working late and I had the show running on another screen to keep me company. I thought overall it was a funny, uplifiting, and moving spectacle. I loved the tributes to movies with signifant anniversaries (Cabaret, The Godfather, Pulp Fiction, as well as […]

Read More
West Village Model Karen Rempel Hugging a Tree at East Village Mural Site

Mystery & Murals

This issue marks the third anniversay of this Karen’s Quirky Style column, which celebrates a love affair with playing dress-up in New York! This column would be nothing without you, dear readers, and I want to give you a big hug and kiss for reading and commenting and just generally adding to the fun and […]

Read More
New York Photographer Philip Maier

Philip Maier’s Union Square

My friend, the fantastic New York photographer Philip Maier, has just released a fascinating book about Union Square. Phil’s photos capture the past 20 years of New York history in this focal point of Greenwich Village. His artistic vision will touch you with humor, joy, grief, sadness, and his tremendous love of the city and […]

Read More
Karen's Quirky Style - Fortunes Told Here - Come into My Parlour

Come into my Parlor

Storefront fortune tellers are almost as ubiquitous as nail salons in New York. Who among us hasn’t succumbed to the lure of peering into the mists of the future, seeking a hint of reassurance that things are going to be okay? Or guidance to make a choice? Only $10 to gain a moment’s comfort from […]

Read More
West Village Model Karen Rempel - Karen's Quirky Style - Rain Day Closeup

Rain Day

Happy New Year! The days have been cool, gray, and rainy in New York City this winter. Not at all the white Christmas that we dreamt about. But as the hip hop duo Atmosphere so eloquently said, “When life gives you lemons, you paint that sh*t gold.” Life has dealt a sh*tload of lemons lately, […]

Read More
West Village Model Karen Rempel in EAT Brocade Jacket

Wicked As It Seems

Keith was an awfully good sport about being comedic fodder for my Catch and Release foray into fiction. When I saw this exquisite jacket from Engineered by Andrea T, I immediately flashed on Keith Richards—he would totally wear this jacket! Check out the glimmer of chartreuse silk lining. Simply gorgeous! So I decided to design this month’s quirky […]

Read More
West Village Model Karen Rempel in front of CBGBs Bowery location

Punk-Up at CBGBs

I first heard about CBGBs at a party in high school in Burnaby, BC. My friends were playing Talking Heads’ “Life During Wartime” and somehow I parsed the word CBGB’s, though it took decades to learn about the Mudd Club. I’m sure all native New Yorkers know that CBGB’s is the birthplace of punk, though […]

Read More
Karen and Marilyn - West Village Model Karen Rempel at Chelsea Guitars

D&G in Chelsea

I always have fun on photoshoots for this column, but the shoot outside Chelsea Guitars was exceptionally boisterous. First of all, my photographer, Phil, encouraged a lot of girl-on-girl action with Marilyn Monroe, which put me in a giddy mood. Cavorting with a ukulele-playing Marilyn is a blast, as I’m sure many readers can imagine. […]

Read More
Beige carpet at the Met Gala

Brat Pack at the Met

Of course I was invited to the Met Gala this year! Not!! Being a humble West Village model and style blogger, I don’t have the gravitas of the glitterati invited to the ball-to-end-all-balls. But as you may recall, I dressed in honor of the non-gala last year, and I was fascinated to catch a few […]

Read More
West Village Model Karen Rempel caresses her Candy Apple Red high heels

Biting the Apple

On my first trip to New York, in 2014, I ditched the “Search Inside Yourself” course that brought me to the city and headed over to the Hudson River to search outside myself. The first fascinating wonder I saw was Stephan Weiss’s bronze sculpture, “The Apple.” Soon after, I spotted the Statue of Liberty in […]

Read More
West Village model Karen Rempel frolics in the forest at Jefferson Market Garden. Karen's Quirky Style.

Forest Frolics

Summer is here and it’s time to put on your coolest whites and head for the mountains, forests, lakes, and beaches. If you can’t get away, the Jefferson Market Garden has never looked more lush. Stop in for a refreshing dose of oxygen, perambulate to view the rainbow flowers tucked into every corner, and visit the koi […]

Read More
Karen's Quirky Style August 2020 - Basquing

Basquing on the Bowery

All photographs by Philip Maier unless noted otherwise. My fashion sense was influenced by the ’80s glam metal scene, which was fomented by the punk rock scene in NYC in the ’70s. The Velvet Underground was Andy Warhol’s house band, spawning Lou Reed’s shattering Rock n Roll Animal in 1973. At the same time, Jean-Michel Basquiat […]

Read More
West Village Model Karen Rempel Cries The Horror

C&R6: Christmas Date Part 3

George was waxing philosophical again. “I have a trite aphorism that I offer all the time: men are driven by egos, women are driven by emotions.” The first time he said it, I disagreed, gave it some thought, and disagreed again. Now that I had heard it 48 times, I was beginning to believe him. […]

Read More
West Village Model Karen Rempel Demonstrates Rona's Droop

Droop-a-Rona

New York Tough. New York Proud. New York Variant. Rona the virus is drooping. I began tracking coronavirus news daily, obsessively, in March of 2020, as I’m sure many of you did. I even created an email folder for NYC updates related to the virus, testing, vaccinations, closures, and other impacts on the city. In May […]

Read More
West Village Model Karen Rempel - Catch and Release - KQS - Don't Try to Stop Me

C&R5: Christmas Date Part 2

This Catch and Release thing is really picking up momentum. Not only is George giving me advice on my love life, but now readers are writing to give George advice to give to me! Last month, George suggested I marry someone rich and then bump him off. In response, Arthur wrote, “George should probably point out—as […]

Read More
West Village Model Karen Rempel in Donna Karan - KQS

¡Viva Flamenco!

This month’s look veers into very quirky territory, bringing a confluence of three distinct elements into a unique look that combines disparate sources into a true Rempel original. But before I tell you about the fashion, let me set the scene. We shot this month’s column in the storied Minetta Lane, in a Spanish-influenced doorway. […]

Read More
West Village Model Karen Rempel flees the scene of the crime

C&R4: Christmas Date Part 1

George called me the other morning and said he had thought about me when he woke up. “You’re like a steel cube. You only do what you want to do.” I quite liked this image. “I think you should marry a rich man and bump him off.” Impressive—he’s really starting to get me! But his […]

Read More

Flying to PIECES

I looked at dozens of apartments in the Village in 2017 when I was searching for my dream New York home. One of my favorite apartment viewing experiences was a co-op with loft bed that caught my eye on StreetEasy because it had a vintage chocolate poster on the living room wall. When I viewed […]

Read More
West Village Model Karen Rempel - Karen's Quirky Style - Runaway Bride

C&R3: Ascending to Drink

George must have watched Marilyn Monroe in How to Marry a Millionaire a few too many times. He always wants to talk about why I’m still single and what type of man would be suitable for me. “You’re beautiful and smart. You should marry a millionaire.” I always say, “I’m waiting for you to ask me.” The […]

Read More

Flintstone Wedding

An early casualty of the pandemic, Gato at 324 Lafayette Street closed in March 2020. Owner Bobby Flay said, “As of March 16th, I am closing my restaurant Gato because of the obvious and unprecedented circumstances threatening our world. I wish everyone well.” As businesses boarded their windows, artist Sino began painting murals of his mythical Frank Ape art […]

Read More
West Village Model Karen Rempel - KQS - At Abbey Road Studio, London

C&R2: The Proposition

My publisher George thinks his dating stories are better than mine. “Men can roam more freely than women. I’ve been all over the world.” He told me he dated a French woman (in France), the heiress of a famous line of Armagnac. She lived in a castle, and sadly rejected his offer of marriage, which […]

Read More
West Village Model Karen Rempel in Washington Square Park

Fierce Attitude

My love affair with New York began in Washington Square Park. I parachuted into the Washington Square Hotel on my first trip to New York in 2014, drawn by the fact that the Rolling Stones and both of the Dylans had stayed there. Within minutes of ditching my bags, I was walking past the park on my way to […]

Read More
UN Gala Honoring Joe Biden - Karen's Quirky Style

Catch and Release

Dear Readers! This is the start of many fun stories about my dating adventures. It is a serialized account of why I prefer to “catch and release,” and I hope you’ll get a giggle. Many girls dream of their wedding day. Not me! I dreamed of twirling in glamorous gowns and going to glittering galas […]

Read More
Karen's Quirky Style - Playing Dress Up by the Food Truck at Astor Place

The Tickle Trunk

When I was a little girl, I loved playing dress up. In Canada we had a show called Mr. Dressup that was on every weekday morning from the time my family got a television until the mid-90s. His puppet friends Casey and Finnegan were part of the fun, but the moment I liked best was […]

Read More
West Village Model Karen Rempel Is Jumpin' for Joe - Karen's Quirky Style

Jumpin’ for Joe

I don’t know about you, but I’ve felt like flying since we got the news on November 7 that Joe Biden and Kamala Harris have been elected the leaders of our country. The cheers, honks, and bells ringing through the streets of the Village made New York seem like herself again—electric and alive. And now […]

Read More
Karen's Quirky Style - KQS Nov - West Villager Model Karen Rempel in Chains

Macker Wacker

This column is for all of you who have a favorite old sweater that you want to hang onto, even though your main squeeze pressures you to get rid of it and has tried three times to donate it to Goodwill. This quirky look is a real mash-up of styles and periods, but my vintage […]

Read More
Karen's Quirky Style - West Village Model Karen Rempel wearing Dominion Day dress

Dominion Day

Mask and dress art by Engineered by Andrea T. Photograph by Philip Maier. A while ago I told you about a stop-you-in-your-tracks dress by Engineered by Andrea T, based on a painting called Dominion Day by James Kerr. Recently when Andrea told me she was making couture face masks, I immediately asked her if she […]

Read More
West Village Model Karen Rempel and Fearless Girl Statue - Karen's Quirky Style

Fearless from EAT to ERA

West Village model Karen Rempel in bespoke dress and mask by Engineered by Andrea T. Fearless Girl also wears mask with bow by EAT. Photo by Tess Malone. You might wonder how a simple dress relates to women’s empowerment. This month’s photo series is an all-woman effort, featuring this stunningly simple bespoke dress by Engineered […]

Read More
Karen's Quirky Style - Engineered by Andrea T "Dominion Day" dress and painting

EAT Dominion Day

Engineered by Andrea T is the design studio of transformation artist Andrea Thurlow, a designer and bespoke tailor with a flair for the dramatic. She creates striking evening wear, day wear, and Broadway costumes with a personal aesthetic using top-quality natural fabrics and an engineer’s precision methodology. My favorite piece by Andrea T is a […]

Read More
Karen Yvonne Rempel New York fashion model Karen's Quirky Style

From Apfel to Zorzan

A killer look often starts with one piece to build on. I put this style together around these luscious cherry wine trousers, which I found for a luxe change-of-season steal at Tiziano Zorzan on 8th Avenue. Tiziano has 3 locations in the West Village, where you can find exclusive capsule collections designed and made in […]

Read More
Karen's Quirky Style - West Village Model Karen Rempel drapes New York City for virtual Met Gala

Wearing My City

The First Monday in May Everyone who loves fashion knows that The First Monday in May is the highlight of the year, when the glitterati put on their most fantabulous creations and head up the red carpeted steps into the Met. (Check out the wonderful film Ocean’s 8—which premiered at Alice Tully Hall in 2018—to […]

Read More
Karen's Quirky Style - West Village Model Karen Rempel incognito

Corona Couture

In these days of social distancing, I couldn’t get my dear friend Dusty to take my picture. So this month’s column is my first selfie, taken using a mirrored elevator. And of course with all clothing stores closed, I needed to call on the contents of my fab four closets to put together my Corona […]

Read More
West Village model Karen Rempel

Billy Goat on Bleecker

Dear reader, I hope that you and your loved ones (both skinny and furry) are home safe, and enjoying some close time together, catching up on some of those things you’ve been meaning to do. This home time is a time for reflection, and a pause to look at the changes in NYC. This is […]

Read More
Karen's Quirky Style - Pink Party

Playtime in The Pause

Remember a year ago when we could all decide to wear the same color and have a pink party? Those days are on pause, together with the city of New York and much of the world, but we can still party together (Zoom stock is skyrocketing) and it’s almost as good. Party On… Line, That […]

Read More
West Village model Karen Rempel - Karen's Quirky Style - April 2020 Feature

Pink Plaid and Banana Pudding

This Easter promises to be bleak, and nothing is bleaker than an un-peopled Bleecker Street. When Dusty and I headed over to Bleecker for this month’s shoot, we were doing our best to put a bright face on Easter. I chose a soothing fifties-reminiscent outfit in chick-and-bunny colors with ironic white gloves in brave pandemic […]

Read More
Karen's Quirky Style - March 2020 - West Village Model Karen Rempel in Black Forest Hoodie

PVC Velvet Mash-Up

This month’s look is a mixture of old and new, with contrasting textures and colors. The centerpiece is the striking, shiny black PVC pants by Andrea Thurlow of Engineered by Andrea T. I love their sleek edginess. The next step in putting this outfit together was to hunt through my closets for the perfect shoes […]

Read More
Karen's Quirky Style - West Village model Karen Rempel on Bleecker Street in electric red and violet dress by Engineered by Andrea T. Photograph by Norberto Bana.

Electric Reds Beat Winter Blues

With spring still a distant wisp of hope, bright colors can help us bridge the gap in the dead of winter. What a great opportunity to wear this delicious electric-toned dress by Andrea Thurlow of Engineered by Andrea T. Notched cap sleeves and slim pencil skirt bring a hint of Forties elegance to Andrea’s modern […]

Read More
Karen's Quirky Style - B-Word - 2019 headshot

The B-Word

A friend recently told me about a new book by Sofia Din MD, Do We Really Need Botox? Handbook of Anti-Aging. I read the book, and I am flummoxed about what to tell you. The book offers overviews of various “anti-aging” options, including eating right and exercising. But the premise itself is questionable to me. […]

Read More
Karen's Quirky Style - West Village Model Karen Rempel on Hudson Street, West Village

Jimi Meets Joni

You might not recognize me this month with my new hair color. Even though the color has changed with each month of this column, this time it is a real surprise. Brunette! When she first saw it, my friend Rhonda at LifeThyme said, “Karen, what happened, your hair is normal!” She was shocked. The brunette […]

Read More
Karen's Quirky Style - West Village Model Karen Rempel on Sixth Avenue

Sandwiched!

My first commercial print modeling gig has born fruit on Sixth Avenue on the Juice and Joy sandwich board! Lots of friends have mentioned seeing me on the TV screen inside the cozy juice bar on Sixth. Now I’m out on the sidewalk as well. Minor fame in the West Village! Many thanks to Mo […]

Read More
West Village Model Karen Rempel - Karen's Quirky Style - Alexis Bittar Jewelry

Karen’s Kinky Christmas

Having trouble getting in the spirit this holiday season? I hope that Karen’s Kinky Christmas outfit, complete with Grinch-green wig, will put you in the mood for some holiday hijinks. Come on, tell Karen, have you been naughty or nice? I have a holiday gift for you if you can guess what I am holding […]

Read More
Karen's Quirky Style - Post-Mortem of Vogue Cover Shoot

Post-Mortem Vogue

The dearly awaited December issue of Vogue came out, and there was Phoebe Waller-Bridge on the cover. OMG, this was the issue I might be in! Even though, as I wrote previously, it seemed chances were very slim that I was in the shot, HOPE SPRINGS ETERNAL. When my friend Simitra sent me a text […]

Read More
Karen's Quirky Style - Anna Wintour's Master Class inspires West Village model Karen Rempel

Master Class – Anna Wintour! Lessons Learned…

So inspiring! I just finished Anna Wintour’s Master Class on Creativity and Leadership, and my heart is bursting with creative ideas. There were so many inspiring photographs of fantastical scenes in the class, and style tableaux that my eyes literally wanted to drink up. So many details—such richness and beauty—that I wanted to keep looking […]

Read More
Karen's Quirky Style - West Village Model Karen Rempel - With goat!

West Village Hoedown

With apple-picking season flying by and Thanksgiving fast approaching, I brought out my cowboy boots for this month’s adventure on Bleecker Street. The weather was still so warm on the day of the shoot that I decided to pair the boots with flared black shorts and fishnet stockings. (Think Beyoncé at Coachella! Love this incredible […]

Read More
Karen's Quirky Style - West Village Model Karen Rempel transformed into Kris Jenner

New Face – Kris J!

I never thought I would be the mother of a gorgeous group of Kardashian stunners! But last week I got an email asking if I was available to do a shoot with The Face magazine. Of course I said yes, and a couple of days later, there I was on a set in mid-town. You […]

Read More
Karen's Quirky Style - West Village Model Karen Rempel's singing debut in Bowie blue suit

Quirky Singing in 70’s Style

You might have guessed based on my personality and love of unique expression that I am a big fan of David Bowie. He’s definitely an influencer on my quirky style. I’ve previously mentioned conducting the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra dressed as Bowie. You may not know that I also ran the New York Marathon dressed as […]

Read More
KQS - West Village Model Karen Rempel in award-winning photo Playing Statues on Bleecker by Dusty Berke - square

Award-Winning Style

My friend Dusty Berke received an award for her arresting photograph Playing Statues on Bleecker on October 16 at the prestigious Salmagundi Club. The photograph of West Village model and photojournalist Karen Rempel (moi) originally appeared in the “Karen’s Quirky Style” column in the May 2019 issue of WestView News. You might recall my blog […]

Read More
Karen's Quirky Style - West Village Model - Simrita Dhillon and Karen Rempel in the shot that never was

Inside the Vogue Cover Shoot

The Shot That Never Was… Being Discovered… It was like a fairytale. I was walking up 6th Avenue after Barre3 class, a bag of groceries slung over my shoulder, on my way to meet my friend Robin Hirsch for a glass of wine at Spain Restaurant on W. 13th Street. It was raining fairly heavily, […]

Read More
West Village New York Model Karen Rempel on Bleecker Street - Dress by Engineered by Andrea T

Bleecker Runway Show

I had a fantasy dream come true on a recent Sunday, modeling couture designer Engineered by Andrea T’s gorgeous creations on Bleecker Street. Which is your favorite? Red dress with purple accents – eye-popping color! Mod winter-white dress with “grass” vinyl print on hem and straight black stripe down the front center line Garnet red […]

Read More
Karen's Quirky Style - Pierre Cardin Red and White Parabolas

Pierre Cardin Futures

I saw the Pierre Cardin Future Fashion exhibit at the Brooklyn Museum, and loved his fascinating future-forward clothes.   Cocktails at the Norm The exhibit was very dimly lit, to protect the fabric, so unfortunately these photos are all somewhat dark. Anyway, I thought it was worth the trip to Brooklyn, because it’s a fun […]

Read More
Karen's Quirky Style - New York Model Karen Rempel at Pace Opening

Pounced at Pace

I attended the opening of the new Pace Gallery in Chelsea this week, and had a great time checking out the 7 floors, including outdoor terrace with great views of Chelsea and downtown Manhattan. The event was covered in the New York Social Diary, in a fantastic article by Jill Krementz. Patron of the arts […]

Read More
Karen's Quirky Style - Everett Raymond Kinstler portrait of Linda Zagaria

Hats On to Linda Zagaria

With her dark hair curving against her alabaster cheek in a 1920s bob, and her signature hat, Linda Zagaria is instantly recognizable. Influenced by the stars of the silver screen, her elegant dresses and constant pearls evoke the era between the wars. Her passion for the Art Deco period led her to assume the role […]

Read More
Karen's Quirky Style - Diana Broussard - West Village Style New York

Diana Broussard’s Genius Designs

Diana Broussard is a creative force of nature. She’s a true pioneer in fashion design, from Calvin Klein’s eponymous underwear for women to the latest in wearable tech—exclusive, sleek handbags with customizable video displays. She has worked with some of the biggest names in the business, including Dior and Gucci, and started her own line […]

Read More
Karen's Quirky Style - Proud as a Peacock in Quirky Colors

Quirky Color – Peacock Pride

Karen’s Quirky Style is all about expressing our inner joie de vivre through color and fun combinations of clothing and accessories from different sources and time periods. I love walking down the street and seeing people’s faces light up with delight at the unexpected sight before their eyes. (Namely, moi. Haha.) The outfit I’m wearing […]

Read More
Karen's Quirky Style - Camp at the Met - Fashion Mashup New York Style

Outrageous Camp at the Met

The Met has a new exhibit in The Costume Institute‘s “Fashion Wing,” called Camp: Notes on Fashion. The above was my favorite quirky look in the exhibit. I like the mashup of elements: Mannequin holding baby Mannequin wearing glasses Plastic rainhat Chiffon ballgown with yellow birds on it

Read More
Balmain dress on Rue St. Fauborg-Honore - Karen's Quirky Style

Favorite Paris Dress

Check out this stunning dress at Balmain on Rue Saint-Honoré. The pleats and folds in this ivory satin asymmetrical number are exquisite. That’s me in the mirror in a magenta raincoat and fantastic pink satin sneakers by Diana Broussard. (A French designer in New York.) Style Notes My colorful tote is by Tiziano Zorzan, an […]

Read More
Karen's Quirky Style - Chanel display window in Paris

Chanel Bites

So exciting to see the Chanel shop in Paris. You know I love quirky style, but this look says Chanel is past it. That white dress under the classic Chanel suit is ugly, I’m sorry! Adding expensive accessories doesn’t redeem the ugliness. IMHO. But the make-up “glasses” on the mannequin is a cool touch… How did […]

Read More
New York Fashion Model Karen Yvonne Rempel on Karen's Quirky Style uses KQS Purse Pals

Style Notes: Mini Handbags

Everything old is new again, but the newest introduced at Paris Fashion Week this year is Le Petit Chiquito by French designer Simon Porte Jacquemus. It’s beyond the tiniest handbag you’ve ever seen, with room for ONE of these items: a single mint or piece of gum a housekey a folded-up twenty for cabfare Now […]

Read More
New York Model Karen Rempel - Karen's Quirky Style - Dominion Day Dress 2 by Engineered by Andrea T

Rubies on Bleecker

Fall is in the air—my favorite time of year. What a great opportunity to wear this delicious jewel-toned dress by Andrea Thurlow of Engineered by Andrea T. You may recall the story about the “Dominion Day” dress in the July issue of WestView. Andrea made this dress using extra yardage of the “Dominion Day” custom […]

Read More
West Village Model Karen Rempel with Fuschia and Turquoise Hair

Ballgowns in the West Village

The drag queens and fashionistas in the West Village will laugh when you hear about my awkwardness with ballgowns. I may have worn a ballgown when I was seven years old and playing dress-up with my neighbor friend’s lovely box of treasures. Certainly I dressed my Barbie in lovely floor-length gowns when I was a […]

Read More

Stylin’ with Statues

This guy is carrying the opposite of a mini handbag! Hobo pants and carpetbag evoke an early quirky era. But is that a Patek Phillipe watch? Quirk-o-rama! Photo by Rosanna Magarelli. On location in Geneva with my gal pal Rosanna, we are staying at Hotel N’vy, which is stuffed with quirky artwork from European and […]

Read More
West Village Model Karen Rempel on swing at Bleecker playground

Swinging in a Vintage Garden Dress

Confession time. I’m a shoe fanatic! I have a friend who decides what she’s going to wear on a given day based on which pieces in her remarkable jewelry collection she feels like displaying. For me, it’s all about the shoes. I will often pull together an outfit based on which of my dearest pair […]

Read More
KQS - West Village Model Karen Rempel in award-winning photo Playing Statues on Bleecker by Dusty Berke - square

OM OMG Bill Blass

For me, having fun with fashion is about finding pieces I love at the most unexpected moments, and then combining them with old favorites to come up with an entirely new, unique look. I call this “Karen’s Quirky Style”: You won’t find these ensembles in Vogue They don’t cost a mint No one else wears […]

Read More
Karen Yvonne Rempel New York fashion model Karen's Quirky Style

Leopards a Leaping

The National Arts Club celebrated Jo Weldon’s new book, Fierce: The History of Leopard Print, in March, with a leopard-spotted event that had stylish New Yorkers turning out in truck-loads of faux pelts adorning every imaginable garment from boots to hats. Touted as a “neutral,” leopard prints might have been invented as nature’s camo, but […]

Read More
New York fashion model Karen Yvonne Rempel with actress Bettina Schwabe at VNYL night club in the East Village

Party at VNYL – Bowie Earrings!

I met actress Bettina Schwabe at a party for an investor club at VNYL in the East Village. She asked me where I got my jewelry, so I’m dishing a few secrets here to share with you… Style Tip Style doesn’t have to be expensive. One of the signatures of Karen’s Quirky Style is to […]

Read More
Karen Yvonne Rempel New York fashion model at VNYL in the East Village

Quirky Style at VNYL Party

I saw Advanced Style at the Vancouver International Film Festival in 2014, right before my first trip to New York, and writer Ari and writer-director Lina were there to talk to the audience. All the women in the audience showed up wearing their couture and outlandish rigs, and it was a celebration of our unique […]

Read More