Maggie Shepherd (Margaret Lynette Shepherd) was a fashion designer and business person of national renown. Her fashion company, which was founded in Canberra (the capital city of Australia), 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.
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 protrait 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.