Maggie Shepherd Fashion Designer

Maggie Shepherd Silk Blend Kimono Duster (at Etsy)

By Debrah Gai Lewis

Maggie Shepherd (Margaret Lynette Shepherd) was a fashion designer and business person of national renown. Her fashion company, which was founded in Canberra, grew from a home-based company to, at its height, operating eight stores in Australia and eleven in the United States. 

Maggie learnt how to sew from her mother, Effie (Euphemia) Makin, who was also a well-known Canberra dressmaker.

Maggie Shepherd's signature mark was bold colourful designs using "clashing colours" that reeked of the 80s.  People reported that Maggie's clothes were very comfortable and it didn't matter if they got crushed, which made them perfect for travelling.

Maggie took her designs to the local Canberra markets in the 1970s and her clothes became so popular that she soon opened a store in Petrie Plaza, Canberra.

Maggie Shepherd Floral Blouse and Skirt (at Etsy)

There are no longer any Maggie Shepherd stores but her new or previously owned clothes often come up for sale in eBay, Etsy, and other sites, including Poshmark.

Maggie was regarded as one of Australia's most successful designers and fashion exporters. She was awarded the Small Business Award and a Bicentennial Achievement Award in 1988, and subsequently an Order of Australia and Advanced Australia Award. In 1995 her portrait was painted in oil and acrylic by the Australian artist Robert Pengilley.  This portrait (image not available online) is in the collection of the National Library of Australia, Canberra, having been donated through the Australian Government's Cultural Gifts Program by Maggie Shepherd in 2007.

First published at Mark My Place! (blog), 16th May 2019

Additional information sourced by Tony Magee:

From artist Robert Pengilley: She designed the Australian costumes for the 1990 Commonwealth Games and is an official designer for the Australian Chamber Orchestra. 

About his painting Maggie Shepherd at Home (1995): 'I painted her in her house which has a very pleasant leafy garden. I paint a lot of landscapes and so, in this picture, I was very concerned with the link between the figure and the landscape, and the way in which these two can be brought together compositionally.’

When creating his paintings, Pengilley continually redraughts and redesigns on the canvas rather than thinking everything out in advance. 'The light was very complicated and constantly changing – this made it a challenging picture to paint. I wanted to keep the focus on Maggie and the light and the garden. It is a very happy painting.’

Published at The Art Gallery of NSW.

Maggie Shepherd products for sale at POSHMARK

Painting: Maggie Shepherd at Home, 1995, by Robert Pengilley. Donated to The National Library of Australia through the Australian Government's Cultural Gifts Program by Maggie Shepherd in 2007.

The painting was a finalist in The Archibald Prize for 1995.