Mary-Ellen Prendergast, owner and designer at SHEN
Mary-Ellen Prendergast was just 12 when she decided she wanted to be a fashion designer. Having discovered her lifelong passion at such a young age (although she didn’t know it at the time), she made the decision to single-mindedly pursue fashion as a career path early on.
Fast forward some decades and her New Zealand label SHEN is widely respected and admired, renowned for its elegant contemporary designs, skillful draping, and fluid lines. Working predominantly with silk, as well as linen and wool, sustainability is high on Mary-Ellen’s list of priorities across every aspect of her business.
Inspiration for her timeless silhouettes is drawn from her years spent in Japan, Europe, and the US.
While SHEN designs are unabashedly sophisticated, the flowing silhouettes and drapery (which take cues from Japanese fashion masters) elevate each design to a stunning statement collectable, and there’s a languid effortlessness in even the most formal pieces.
An endearing classic is the SHEN Kimono, with several versions of the original kimono design in silk, satin, and linen delivering relaxed glamour – the perfect transeasonal piece.
Having worked extensively in London, Paris, LA, and Asia, Mary-Ellen’s time immersed in global fashion and the influences of that can be glimpsed throughout her collections.
“Travel influenced my design but it also showed me how much throwaway fashion there was overseas. I think this was a big influence for me on making sure I had a small brand that was conscious of the environment and keeping it local.”
Mary-Ellen often sources luxurious deadstock fabrics from local suppliers, transforming them into remarkable new pieces.
While SHEN means encircle in ancient Egyptian, in Mandarin, its meanings include awareness and consciousness. For Mary-Ellen, SHEN represents all of these things and so much more.
“I like SHEN to embody the personal values I bring to my design. I remain passionate about the fashion industry and in particular supporting local fabric suppliers. I was determined that fashion would be my pathway for almost as long as I can remember and worked towards it from the age of 14.”
Having grown up in Wellington, Mary-Ellen recalls her early teen obsession with fashion magazines: “I was always collecting the latest Italian and English Vogue magazines and would be absorbed in them for hours.
“School was not my strong point, but I did what I needed to to get into fashion school, which included working at JAG in Wellington and immersing myself in the industry any way I could.
“I studied fashion for three years at Wellington polytechnic where I formed some of my strongest lifelong friendships.
“From there, I moved to Auckland and worked for Patrick Steel. He taught me about fabric and influenced my love for high-end, glamorous fashion.
“I wasn’t alone in my interest. My mom was into clothes and sewing, and so were her sisters. Unfortunately, she passed away from breast cancer when I was a young girl.”
There is a sad irony in the fact that Mary-Ellen’s own experience with breast cancer proved the pivoting point for her to step out of the shadow of working with other brands and labels and follow her own path.
“I discovered I had breast cancer when I was 30. I was working hard, and remember being so exhausted that I was barely able to function. At the time, I was working at High Society, which gave me an amazing background in the commerciality of designing for women of all shapes and sizes.
“Two years later, a wee miracle happened and I had a baby boy. This was the highlight of my life, as I knew there was a strong chance I wouldn’t be able to have children.
“My precious son and breast cancer experience saw me decide to start my own brand, and SHEN was born in 2011.”
Since its inception, SHEN has stayed true to Mary Ellen’s vision of embracing confidence and independence and helping women feel empowered.
“This year, it was such a delight and honour to be part of fashion shows around the country to support the not-for-profit organisation Breast Cancer Cure.
“Obviously, this is a cause so dear to my heart. I lost my mum to breast cancer, then went through it myself, undergoing a double mastectomy and chemotherapy. Having cancer was the catalyst to starting my own brand, wanting to forge my own path and my own beliefs into SHEN.”
Images supplied