Building off her experience running her mom’s used clothing store, Dagua Webb opened up her own store, Deluxe, in 2003.
Unlike most University students, Dagua Webb spent much of her undergraduate years both in Eugene and in Europe.
Webb, who is now the owner of Deluxe, a vintage clothing store in Eugene, first attended the University in 1994 and completed her classes in December 2003, but didn’t receive her diploma until Monday. For about 10 months she was one credit shy of receiving her degrees, but then the requirements changed, giving her enough for a B.A. in art history and a B.A. in French.
“I was interested in being a clothing designer or graphic designer, or possibly an architect,” Webb said. “I even thought about owning a farm.”
While at the University, Webb was heavily involved in designing costumes for the University’s Department of Theatre Arts. Her costume designs for a production of “Two Gentlemen of Verona” earned an award from the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts.
Although she had some successful moments at the University, it took her a while to get here.
After graduating from South Eugene High School in 1989, Webb moved to Bend, where she became a small entrepreneur making clothing for snowboarders. She also lived in Humboldt County, Calif., and Seattle before returning to Eugene.
Once in Eugene, Webb had the opportunity to work for her mother’s business, as she had done since she was in middle school.
| Dagua Webb Graduated: Finished classes in December 2003, received degree Monday. Degrees earned: B.A. in Art History and B.A. in French. Activities involved in: Costume design for the Department of Theatre Arts; student exchange to France. Issues at the time: Transition from the Clinton presidency to the Bush presidency. Webb said during the Clinton years, people in Europe were more concerned with cultural issues from the United States, such as guns and rap music. But when Bush came into office, people were more concerned with political issues. While she was in Europe, Webb said Europeans were more politically aligned and now they’ve become more polarized. |
“I ran my mom’s business, called The Clothes Horse, which she sold in 2002,” Webb said.
While managing the store, Webb dated a man who was interested in academics.
“I always wanted to go back to school, and he helped me get in,” Webb said. “I didn’t have a diploma, so I had to get my GED.”
Webb obtained straight A’s in her first term and advanced to second-year French.
“I was nervous because I was five or six years older than everyone else in my class,” Webb said. “I made it a goal to care about it; I focused and had almost perfect attendance.”
Not long into her college career, Webb began traveling to Europe. She spent spring term of her first year in southern France on an exchange program, which prompted her to stay for three extra months in the summer.
It was after returning from France that Webb got involved with costuming at the University, which later led her to an interest in architectural art history.
“Costuming was extremely difficult,” Webb said. “It was a three-hour-a-week class that took 40 hours of my time. So I realized it was too much for me.”
Following her first trip to Europe, Webb began a cycle of living in and outside the United States. She spent six months in Germany, nine months outside of England and another six months in the Netherlands. That time was spent with her boyfriend at the time, Martin Cassidy, who was sent to Europe by his employer, Amazon.com. Webb later returned to Seattle, where she realized that she should finish her undergraduate studies at the University.
“I came back and realized I was 12 credits away from a French minor,” Webb said. “I realized it wouldn’t be hard to double major.”
While at the University, Webb was heavily influenced by Art History Professor Richard Sundt.
“I really appreciated his style of teaching,” Webb said. “The gothic and medieval world is magical to me, and most of that stuff came from his classes.”
Webb advises current students to pursue the things for which they have positive passions.
“Never pursue things for anyone else or it’ll take you to a dead end,” she said.
Soon after completing classes at the University, Webb opened her own business.
“Ever since I can remember, I’ve wanted to have my own business,” she said.
Some would say Webb is following in her mother’s footsteps, because her mother has opened a number of businesses in the past. However, Ann Hathaway, Webb’s mother, disagrees.
“The concept of retail is following in my footsteps, but she’s taking it in a different way than I did,” Hathaway said. “The people she is targeting are more select.”
In April 2003, Webb opened Deluxe, a clothing store located on East 13th Avenue and Willamette Street in Eugene.
“It is phenomenal. I can’t say that anybody is getting rich but it’s an exciting place for the community,” Webb said.
Webb said she has a venue for original designs, describing her store’s style as more urban than folksy.
“Almost everything is vintage and trendy used stuff and about 10 percent is designed, including jewelry, cards and art,” Webb said.
In addition to opening Deluxe, the 33-year-old has recently become engaged to Shawn Nelson, an industrial-robot operator and part owner of the Burley Design Cooperative in Eugene. The couple is planning to marry at the end of June.
“She’s super fashionable, resourceful and gorgeous,” Nelson said in describing his fiancée. He added that her traveling experience has given her a broader view of the world in regard to aesthetics in fashion and her lifestyle.
In addition to her small business, Webb still has a lot she’d like to do, including developing perfume and body products, designing T-shirts and hats and making baby clothing out of recycled sweaters.
“She’s constantly evolving; she’ll have one creative endeavor, pursue that, and then develop another creative endeavor,” Hathaway said.
Webb’s plans also include a family.
“I want to be a mother in the next five years and start a family,” Webb said. “When that occurs, I know that’ll be my focus and everything else will be secondary.”
