National Arts Club

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 […]

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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 […]

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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 […]

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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 […]

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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 […]

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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 […]

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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 […]

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