RABBIT HOLE COUTURE
Fashion designer Karen Reinstatler is dark, edgy and not afraid to rip the head off a bunny statue
from TJ Maxx and glue it to a cane. On April 10, Kevro’s Art Bar in Delray Beach was transformed
into an Alice in Wonderland-inspired mad tea party complete with rocks on a black lace covered
table, “eat me” cakes and vintage teapots. Models walked the runway wearing crinoline
petticoats, corsets, fitted coats, vampire teeth and masks made to resemble pig and fox heads.
“The masks actually inspired the whole collection,” Reinstatler says. “I bought them online and
had no idea what I was going to end up doing with them.”
Reinstatler spent a month dyeing garments in Lipton tea, and the concept for her tea party
clothing collection began to brew. She also owns and runs Pink Slip Threads, a retro, rockabilly
boutique in Lighthouse Point. And she’s been selling her creations on craft site Etsy.com.
“I’ve always loved corsets and petticoats and the whole little old lady thing,” Reinstatler says. “I
also collect Hummels. In fact, when one of my statues recently broke, I decided to glue it to a
cane and use it in the show.”
While that may sound bonkers, as Alice would say, “All the best people are.”
by Joanie Cox
Fashion designer Karen Reinstatler is dark, edgy and not afraid to rip the head off a bunny statue
from TJ Maxx and glue it to a cane. On April 10, Kevro’s Art Bar in Delray Beach was transformed
into an Alice in Wonderland-inspired mad tea party complete with rocks on a black lace covered
table, “eat me” cakes and vintage teapots. Models walked the runway wearing crinoline
petticoats, corsets, fitted coats, vampire teeth and masks made to resemble pig and fox heads.
“The masks actually inspired the whole collection,” Reinstatler says. “I bought them online and
had no idea what I was going to end up doing with them.”
Reinstatler spent a month dyeing garments in Lipton tea, and the concept for her tea party
clothing collection began to brew. She also owns and runs Pink Slip Threads, a retro, rockabilly
boutique in Lighthouse Point. And she’s been selling her creations on craft site Etsy.com.
“I’ve always loved corsets and petticoats and the whole little old lady thing,” Reinstatler says. “I
also collect Hummels. In fact, when one of my statues recently broke, I decided to glue it to a
cane and use it in the show.”
While that may sound bonkers, as Alice would say, “All the best people are.”
by Joanie Cox
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Karen Reinstatler (above) just may be the smartest, most-considerate fashion designer on the
planet. On April 30, the owner of the quirky, chic Lighthouse Point boutique Pink Slip Threads
hosted a fashion show at the downtown Fort Lauderdale bar Laser Wolf. Guests at fashion
shows typically are asked to arrive at 8 p.m., only to have to wait two hours for a five-minute
runway show to begin. Reinstatler came up with a new concept: Instead of forcing guests into
plastic chairs for a game of hurry-up-and-wait, she had models walk around Laser Wolf in a
parade from 9:30 p.m. to 1 a.m. You could arrive whenever you wanted and not miss anything.
This local designer has a history of blazing her own trails — and paving her own catwalks. Last
April, she converted Kevro's Art Bar in Delray Beach into an Alice in Wonderland-inspired tea
party. She built a runway around a black-lace table covered with “Eat me” cakes and vintage
teapots. Models strutted around in tea-dyed petticoats and pig and fox masks. I left the show
thinking it was so fantastic and fun, it could never be outdone. Reinstatler proved me wrong.
This year, to celebrate the second anniversary of her clothing store, she presented a circus-
themed fashion show. The Laser Wolf courtyard was transformed into a carnival complete with
knife-throwing games, cotton candy and popcorn; a magic show by local model Jules Gennari;
and hand-painted cutouts of cartoon characters made for photo ops. With stuffed animals
peeking from bushes, a creepy-looking child's desk decorated with a clown doll and a
fortuneteller's table strewn with a Ouija board and tarot cards, the show ensured that something
interesting was never more than a few feet away.
“I wanted to make it more like a night out for everybody than just a fashion show,” Reinstatler
says. “And I based each outfit on a character from a vaudeville circus.”
Never fearful of taking a risk with her runway collections, Reinstatler whipped up sequin shorts,
hot-pink corsets, ruffled dresses and sheer, ladylike blouses. Each look was inspired by familiar
circus characters, including a tightrope walker, mime, fortuneteller, clown, ringleader, lion tamer
and mermaid.
“There were 11 looks total,” Reinstatler says, “and my boyfriend, Dave, helped make every prop
for the show so my imagination could become reality.”
Lighthouse Point hairdresser Kellie Rucker styled the models' manes, and local makeup artist
Ania Futryk painted their faces with bold blush and false eyelashes reminiscent of A Clockwork
Orange.
“Life is a freakin' circus,” Reinstatler says. “It's so crazy, and we're all constantly on the run. I
thought it might be fun to put together some clothing that reflects that.”
Yes, it is refreshing to find a designer who understands that fashion really is the greatest show
on earth. by Joanie Cox
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/citylink/sfl-glamazon-karen-reinstatler-no-ordinary-designer-
20110509,0,7720330.story
planet. On April 30, the owner of the quirky, chic Lighthouse Point boutique Pink Slip Threads
hosted a fashion show at the downtown Fort Lauderdale bar Laser Wolf. Guests at fashion
shows typically are asked to arrive at 8 p.m., only to have to wait two hours for a five-minute
runway show to begin. Reinstatler came up with a new concept: Instead of forcing guests into
plastic chairs for a game of hurry-up-and-wait, she had models walk around Laser Wolf in a
parade from 9:30 p.m. to 1 a.m. You could arrive whenever you wanted and not miss anything.
This local designer has a history of blazing her own trails — and paving her own catwalks. Last
April, she converted Kevro's Art Bar in Delray Beach into an Alice in Wonderland-inspired tea
party. She built a runway around a black-lace table covered with “Eat me” cakes and vintage
teapots. Models strutted around in tea-dyed petticoats and pig and fox masks. I left the show
thinking it was so fantastic and fun, it could never be outdone. Reinstatler proved me wrong.
This year, to celebrate the second anniversary of her clothing store, she presented a circus-
themed fashion show. The Laser Wolf courtyard was transformed into a carnival complete with
knife-throwing games, cotton candy and popcorn; a magic show by local model Jules Gennari;
and hand-painted cutouts of cartoon characters made for photo ops. With stuffed animals
peeking from bushes, a creepy-looking child's desk decorated with a clown doll and a
fortuneteller's table strewn with a Ouija board and tarot cards, the show ensured that something
interesting was never more than a few feet away.
“I wanted to make it more like a night out for everybody than just a fashion show,” Reinstatler
says. “And I based each outfit on a character from a vaudeville circus.”
Never fearful of taking a risk with her runway collections, Reinstatler whipped up sequin shorts,
hot-pink corsets, ruffled dresses and sheer, ladylike blouses. Each look was inspired by familiar
circus characters, including a tightrope walker, mime, fortuneteller, clown, ringleader, lion tamer
and mermaid.
“There were 11 looks total,” Reinstatler says, “and my boyfriend, Dave, helped make every prop
for the show so my imagination could become reality.”
Lighthouse Point hairdresser Kellie Rucker styled the models' manes, and local makeup artist
Ania Futryk painted their faces with bold blush and false eyelashes reminiscent of A Clockwork
Orange.
“Life is a freakin' circus,” Reinstatler says. “It's so crazy, and we're all constantly on the run. I
thought it might be fun to put together some clothing that reflects that.”
Yes, it is refreshing to find a designer who understands that fashion really is the greatest show
on earth. by Joanie Cox
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/citylink/sfl-glamazon-karen-reinstatler-no-ordinary-designer-
20110509,0,7720330.story
