ENAZ to tie purpose, fashion together on the runway

Blending happy-hour energy with purposeful fashion, an evening in Highland Park on April 15 will benefit the Chicago Lighthouse, proving that fashion can look good and do good. 

Women’s boutique ENAZ, 444 Central Ave., is hosting its second Fashion In Full Bloom event that will include a happy hour, fashion show and shopping between 5-9 p.m. on Wednesday, April 15. All ticket sales from the event and 15% of individual sales will go to The Chicago Lighthouse, a social-service organization serving those who are blind, visually impaired, disabled or veterans. The fundraiser will take place in ENAZ’s second-floor space, called Upside Events. 

“We are excited to host our second annual runway show,” said Samantha Shapiro, co-owner of ENAZ. “Highland Park can always use a feel-good event to bring the community together, talk about fashion, keep it lighthearted, while also raising money for an important cause. It will intertwine a lot of Highland Park local businesses.” 

The event will open with a Haute Happy Hour where attendees will sip a variety of drinks courtesy of Lynfred Winery, Twisted Alchemy and Inspiro Tequila, as well as take bites provided by Ami Shuk to Table, a Highland Park restaurant. 

The fashion show will feature “never seen before” ENAZ spring looks with special guest Rachel Boedecker of The Style Edit Co. Attendees can also enjoy a styling session with Shapiro. 

Amid the clink of cocktail glasses, the runway will come alive with an unexpected twist: menswear integrated into striking women’s looks. 

The models will incorporate “up-cycled” vintage men’s ties to make looks appear “more elevated,” Shapiro said. These ties, brooches, chains and patches will come from Pat Norman, a designer with The Pat Touch. Attendees also can create their own ties at a Custom Tie Bar after the show. 

The event, produced by Ray Martinez with Done by Design, will take place in an event space that used to be a dance studio called Witten Hall, which is more than a century old.

“We are kind of keeping the building alive, and it’s basically part of history,” Shapiro said. 

Tickets, which can be purchased online, range from $35 general admission seats to $75 front-row VIP seats. All seats come with a gift bag. 

After 34 years in business, ENAZ is not new to giving back to Highland Park. It regularly hosts fundraising and shopping events, supporting a variety of causes. 

With locations in Highland Park, Northfield and Lake Forest, ENAZ reportedly has raised more than $55,000 and donated more than $40,000 of unsold new clothing, shoes and accessories to local charities such as Alzheimer’s Association, Lynn Sage Breast Cancer Foundation, North Suburban Legal Aid Clinic, SCOPE, PDA North America, Collaborative Community Housing Initiative, A Safe Place, Give N’ Kind, Wings and The Chicago Lighthouse. 

ENAZ has worked with The Chicago Lighthouse for about a decade and the partnership has been “such a great success,” Shapiro said.

“We’ve been working with a lot of foundations to incorporate them into our daily lives,” Shapiro said. “We like teaming up with them; it gives people a reason to shop while donating and feel good about it.” 

Shapiro, who hopes to sell 100 tickets and raise $10,000 through the event, said ENAZ staying involved with local charity is meaningful.

“We might not be changing the world, but at least in our own way  we’re doing something that makes us feel good in more ways than one,” she said.

The Record is a nonprofit, nonpartisan community newsroom that relies on reader support to fuel its independent local journalism.

Become a member of The Record to fund responsible news coverage for your community.

Already a member? You can make a tax-deductible donation at any time.