Born in Cape Town , Shilo migrated with her family to Australia in 1989. It was evident from an early age that a synergy of cloth and design was going to form part of her future. Commencing a Visual Arts degree in 2004 on the basis of strong artistic talent, she moved into the Bachelor of Fine Arts (Fashion) at Queensland University of Technology in Brisbane , Australia . Choosing New Zealand for her fashion house internships, she worked with Zambesi in Auckland and at Nom-D in Dunedin .

While still a student, Shilo was invited to showcase her designs at the Powerhouse, in a collaborative project titled “Draft ”. The objective of this installation event was to articulate the poetic process of creating a toile, including a view into the conceptualization of the designer as they approach their work. “ Shilo Engelbrecht drapes sculptural forms onto a mannequin, renders them two-dimensional by scanning into a computer and then collages them back to a figurative arrangement. One gets the impression that intimate metaphysics and not hangar appeal is what is at stake here ”. (Draft, QUT, 2005)

In her graduation week, the 22-year old was nominated as the winning Finalist in Mercedes Fashion Startup competition with her collection of womenswear titled “Map of My Heart ”. Judges attributed her success to two prominent characteristics: the ability to communicate design themes and concepts, and her original digitally printed textiles that form the basis for her collections.

Showing this collection at the New Generation Show at Mercedes Australia Fashion Week, her garments were sold exclusively through Blonde Venus, in Fortitude Valley, Brisbane .

Displaying an impressive diversity of talent, recognized in 2007 by the Design Institute of Australia as “Emerging Designer of the Year ” award, this fashion designer now engages artistically across the full spectrum of the industry. Her attention is increasingly being drawn towards digital textile design, where she has collaborated with designers such as Gary Bigeni and offers freelance textile development.

Shilo finds expression in photography , in computer aided design, in lecturing to fashion undergraduates on digital printing, and in communicating with people of all ages, evidenced by her successful presentation of a fashion workshop for 2-5 year olds' in the renowned Brisbane Out of the Box Festival.

Eager to broaden her textile printing horizons and to realize a lifelong dream to work in fashion in Europe, Shilo now lives in Amsterdam , where the possibilities for ongoing collaborations represent an exciting future for this fashion design artist.