Philip Maier

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, […]

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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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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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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 […]

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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 […]

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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 […]

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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 […]

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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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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 […]

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