North Shore City Lifestyle

09/23/2026

35 years of dance. More than $535,000 raised for the people who make Chicago’s dance community possible. ❤️

The Chicago Dance Health Fund’s Dance for Life 35th Anniversary brought together nearly 1,700 supporters, dancers and arts leaders for an evening celebrating Chicago dance while raising critical funds for the health and medical needs of dance professionals.

This year’s milestone event featured artists and companies from across the city, including Ballet 5:8, Chicago Dance Crash, Deeply Rooted Dance Theater, Ensemble Español Spanish Dance Theater, Giordano Dance Chicago, Hubbard Street Dance Chicago, The Joffrey Ballet, Trinity Irish Dance Company, Visceral Dance Chicago and more.

The evening also marked the establishment of the Chicago Dance Health Legacy Fund at The Chicago Community Trust, helping create long-term support for the health and well-being of Chicago dance professionals.

Dance for Life has now raised more than $8 million over its history — a powerful reminder of what can happen when an arts community shows up for its own.

Learn more at cdhf.org

📸 Photos by Ren Picco-Freeman

09/22/2026

09/22/2026

This Thursday, September 24, join us at Ferrari Lake Forest for SHIFT — an inspiring evening benefiting WINGS Program, Inc. and the launch of the North Shore Outreach Initiative. 💜

SHIFT is dedicated to changing the way we understand and respond to domestic violence in affluent communities, where abuse can often remain hidden behind shame, stigma, and silence.

The evening will feature special guest Taylor Armstrong, former star of The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills, domestic violence survivor, author, and national advocate, as she shares her powerful story of survival, resilience, and hope.

Guests will enjoy an elevated evening reception with hors d’oeuvres, signature cocktails, tastings, and meaningful conversation — all in support of lifesaving resources for survivors in our local communities.

Tickets are still available.

Join us, bring a friend, and be part of an evening created to shift perspectives and support real change.

Learn more and purchase tickets:
https://wingsprogram.com/upcoming-event/shift/

09/18/2026

✨ WHAT AN EPIC WEEK! ✨

What an honor it has been for North Shore City Lifestyle to serve as the Official Media Partner of Highwood Design Week 2026!

A huge thank you to the Highwood Chamber of Commerce for bringing together such an incredible week celebrating the creativity, design, businesses and people that make Highwood such a special part of the North Shore. From interiors and lighting to art, architecture, antiques, food, wine and so much more — this week truly proved that DESIGN IS EVERYWHERE!

We also want to recognize the amazing businesses, hosts, partners and contributors who helped bring this week to life:

✨ Old Plank Antiques
✨ avec / One Off Hospitality
✨ Cream Wine & Spirits
✨ Verde Springs
✨ 4 Sure Entertainment
✨ Hotel Chocolat
✨ ABLAZE Design Group
✨ Lutron
✨ Davis Audio & Video
✨ Carpets of Highwood
✨ The Merchant

And we’re not finished yet!

📸 TODAY | HIGHWOOD THROUGH A DIFFERENT LENS | 4–5:30 PM

Grab your phone or camera and experience Highwood from a completely different perspective during a guided photo walk led by award-winning photographer and visual storyteller Susan Brigid. Explore Highwood’s architecture, streetscapes, businesses, people and creative details while learning how light, composition and perspective can transform the way we see the places around us.

No photography experience needed — just come ready to explore!

🍷 THEN JOIN US FOR THE GRAND FINALE | 5–7 PM

Highwood Design Week wraps up at The Merchant with Designed to Pair — a celebration of the connection between culinary artistry, hospitality and great design.

Enjoy curated bites created to complement four favorite wine varietals — Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Cabernet Sauvignon — and discover how balance, texture, proportion and creativity play a role in both food and design.

What a week. What a community. ❤️

Thank you to everyone who hosted, partnered, participated, attended and helped make Highwood Design Week 2026 such an incredible celebration.

We loved being part of it!

North Shore City Lifestyle × Highwood Design Week

09/09/2026

Step inside Kameo Vintage with us ✨

Melissa Carter has created something Highland Park didn’t know it needed — a vintage shop where Chanel can hang beside Juicy Couture, where streetwear mixes with designer pieces, and where personal style matters more than following a formula.

Raised on the North Shore and shaped by 18 years in New York, Melissa brings that perspective home through a collection inspired by SoHo, Williamsburg, Paris and Montreal. Her goal is simple: make vintage approachable and give women permission to look a little different.

If you love fashion that feels collected, unexpected and entirely your own, Kameo Vintage is worth the visit.

📍 453 Roger Williams Ave., Highland Park

Read the full feature: https://citylifestyle.com/articles/step-inside-melissa-carters-world

Kameo Vintage Style

09/08/2026

Highwood Design Week returns September 15–18 with four days of design, creativity, craftsmanship and community across Highwood. ✨

The week begins with the Opening Night Preview Party on Tuesday, September 15 from 5–7 PM at Old Plank Antiques’ new Highwood showroom, 210 Green Bay Road. Guests can explore the dealer’s collection of European antiques and vintage furnishings while enjoying complimentary bites from avec, Italian wines from Cream Wine Company, water from Verde Springs, music from 4 Sure Entertainment, and a special Hotel Chocolat gift.

The week continues with Living in a Better Light at ABLAZE Design Group on Wednesday, Whiskey, Vinyl & Textures at Carpets of Highwood on Thursday, and on Friday, a guided photo walk through Highwood followed by the Wrap Party at The Merchant.

Guests are welcome to attend one event or experience the full week. Registration requirements vary by event, and space is limited.

Learn more and register:
https://www.highwoodchamber.com/design-week/

09/03/2026

🍂 September on the North Shore is packed. From live music and fall festivals to design, theater, golf and Oktoberfest, there’s plenty to put on the calendar this month.

Swipe through our September Events Guide, save your favorites and send this to the person you’re making fall plans with. ✨

On the calendar:
📍 Sept. 4–5 — Biohackers World Conference & Expo
📍 Sept. 4–6 — Nashwood: Highwood’s H***y Tonk Music & Food Fest
📍 Sept. 15–18 — Highwood Design Week
📍 Sept. 17 — Topdog/Underdog at Steppenwolf
📍 Sept. 25 — Tee Up for FSG: 9th Annual Golf Scramble
📍 Sept. 25 — Scarecrow Fest & Port Clinton Square Concert Series Finale
📍 Sept. 26 — Oktoberfest in Highland Park

Plus, we’re spotlighting High Holiday catering from Max’s Deli for families planning Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur gatherings.

Which September event are you most excited for? 🍁

09/02/2026

✨ SEPTEMBER COVER FEATURE | MADE TO REMEMBER ✨

Fashion is often focused on what’s next. Nicole Pink has built her work around something more enduring: what deserves to be remembered.

From a mother’s wedding gown and a grandmother’s handmade lace to concert T-shirts, vintage denim and other pieces layered with personal history, the Libertyville designer transforms sentimental garments into modern heirlooms meant to be worn, loved and passed on.

Her philosophy is refreshingly simple: the clothes should fit the person — not the other way around. Through custom couture, heirloom redesigns and her Denim Ever After collection, every piece begins with a story and becomes something entirely personal.

As Nicole reminds us, the garments worth keeping aren’t always the newest or most expensive.

They’re the ones that remember us.

Article by Cat Rolfes
Photography by Thomas Tobin

Read the full September cover story:
https://citylifestyle.com/articles/made-to-remember-2