While many women display photos of their families or pets in their offices, that’s not the case with Toronto-based designer Nada Shepherd. Instead, the brunette beauty keeps two framed photos of her dream cars hanging on her office walls.

“The lower one is an Aston Martin and above it is the Mercedes McLaren, which sadly, they’ve discontinued,” she explains with a laugh from her design studio near Queen St. and Spadina Ave. “It’s a joke around here. I don’t have photos of my husband or cats, just of cars,” she adds.

In her day-to-day life, Shepherd, who earned a science degree from U of T, drives a black 2006 Volkswagen Jetta, her very first car. Prior to buying it four years ago, the 33-year-old self-confessed speeder had always ridden a motorcycle. But after launching her eponymous womenswear line, NADA, in 2004, she needed a vehicle that could transport bolts of fabric, but that was still compact.

“The beauty of the Jetta is that the back seats fold forward to I can totally load it up. It holds so much without being a gas guzzler,” she explains.
­
“I’m surprised more four-door cars don’t have back seats that are able to fold forward.” Her Jetta has also gotten her to fashion trade shows in New York and Montreal.

In just five short years, Shepherd has grown her label from a staff of one to a staff of nine, with a clientele that includes famous faces including Nelly Furtado, Molly Johnson and Mel C.  

It’s her impeccable attention to detail and her use of sensual fabrics that have captured the attention of buyers from across North America and her Spring 2010 collection, showing at Toronto’s LG Fashion Week tomorrow is sure to be no different.

“It’s crazy right now,” she admits of these last few days leading up to her show, but she wouldn’t trade her job for anything.

“I’m never bored. I’m always learning.”