Donna Karan

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 […]

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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 […]

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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. […]

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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 […]

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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 […]

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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 […]

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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 […]

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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 […]

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