Quirky Karen Struts Sidewalk Runway for NYFW
Crowds lined up outside Gotham Hall enjoyed the impromptu New York Fashion Week (NYFW) show while a nearby hot dog vendor played a hiphop soundtrack.
| 20 Feb 2026 | 06:19
Karen Rempel on sidewalk runway outside Gotham Hall, New York Fashion Week. (
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Style on display as New York Fashion Week attendees wait to enter Gotham Hall. (
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Black high-heeled boots are a must for women attending New York Fashion Week at Gotham Hall. (
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Karen Rempel pairs an Andrea T New York jacket with a silver-shingled miniskirt. (
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Sabrett hot dog vendor Hezo Ahmed drops the beats for the sidewalk runway show. (
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New York Fashion Week (NYFW) seized the style-conscious from Feb. 11 to 16 in the Big Apple. Events at Gotham Hall, Sony Hall, and other locations featured the Fall/Winter collections of up-and-coming designers, as well as established giants like Anna Sui and Ralph Lauren. Alert people-watchers may have noticed the style factor was amped up 100 degrees around the city during Fashion Week, even though the temperatures hovered below freezing.
NYFW events are produced by different organizers, production teams, and fashion platforms, though the Council of Fashion Designers (CFDA) hosts the official schedule. Runway 7 Fashion produced independent shows at Sony Hall, while The Bureau presented shows at Gotham Hall. Admission can run to $200 for the cheapest seats, unless you are on the Vogue staff and get in free. Budget-conscious fashionistas create their own looks and then loiter outside the shows.
I decided to add to the splendor with an impromptu runway show outside Gotham Hall. When I arrived with my crew on Valentine’s Day at 2 p.m., we saw a hot dog vendor at the corner of Broadway and W. 36th Street. Maybe model-admirers aren’t the ideal clientele for Sabrett’s. Nonetheless, the vendor, Hezo Ahmed, was hopeful, standing by his cart and playing raga music on a pretty impressive speaker.
In a moment of inspiration suggested by his Brooklyn ball cap, I slipped Hezo a twenty to play Beastie Boys’ “No Sleep ’Til Brooklyn.” Scene set. My photographer, Philip Maier, checked lighting levels while I pre-gamed with a tipple of wine from a flask. I slipped off my jacket. Cue the music!
I love walking a runway, especially street-style. I felt like a supermodel in a navy, black, and silver bouclé jacket with black-sequined tweed details and silver zipper by my favorite designer, Andrea T New York. Her designs are works of art, with unexpected shapes and richly textured fabrics. Luscious!
I’d already seen a few inspiring examples of street style from outside this year’s shows, and I wanted to create a truly outstanding look. Putting the outfit together was a blast. With Andrea’s jacket in mind, I skimmed along on a stream of inspiration at Crossroads Trading on West 13th Street. I was looking for dark blue suede platform pumps, and I had almost found them at Beacon’s Closet, on the same block, but they were size 5. Cruel!!
So I scanned the racks at Crossroads Trading, blue suede in mind. I was cruising towards the back of the store, when I spotted these silver platform beauties. OMG yes! But this calls for more silver! I had a vision. Textured silver. Something mini. Hmmm. What could it be? I started scanning the skirt racks, and found this silver-shingled mini dress. The final piece of the puzzle! I feel so satisfied when a look comes together. And so lucky to get to do this every month for you!
Strutting in my finery, next to a packed line of people excited about fashion—lined up behind a velvet rope that matched my jacket, of course—on the streets of New York, with “No Sleep ’Til Brooklyn” putting sass in my step, I felt at home in my happy place. Viva New York fashion!
Karen Rempel is a New York-based writer, model, and artist. Her Karen’s Quirky New York column illuminates quirky clothes and places in Manhattan. For more style notes and past stories, see https://karenqs.nyc.