Women’s apparel, accessories boutique opens in Westport

WESTPORT— After four years on Etsy, a virtual boutique has become a real storefront on State Road.

De’Ja Designs, a women’s apparel and accessories shop that opened on Friday, offers stylish, top brand, “fits-all” modern and vintage outfits curated by owner De’Ja DeGrace.

“I want to style more people and help to boost up their self-esteem and their confidence,” DeGrace said.

“I know this last year and a half has been very tough on people, and they’ve been feeling low, so I just want to help uplift a lot of women,” the 25-year-old New Bedford native said.

DeGrace’s interest in the fashion world started when she was a kid. While living in the West End on Kempton Street, she would style her dolls in a variety of swanky outfits. During high school, DeGrace said she would always “dress to impress” and was once honored with a “fashionista” award.

“I learned that this was what I’m destined for and was my passion,” she said. “I one day dreamed of being an entrepreneur and running my own business.”

Becoming part of the fashion industry

DeGrace majored in fashion design at Voc-Tech, while also participating in fashion shows for Fashion Week in New York and assisting on modeling, photography and video shoots.

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While working at Joseph Abboud Manufacturing Corporation as a seamstress, DeGrace continued her education at Bristol Community College taking business management courses. She also worked at Hannoush Jewelers as a visual merchandiser.

“I was always driven to want more; determined to go after what I believed in and ambitious to succeed,” she said. “If somebody said they liked something or saw something that I had on…I was offering to sell it or get it, duplicate it and sell it.”

DeGrace said she was always “hustlin’ and bustling” and had a reputation within the SouthCoast community for her drive. “A lot of people have been familiar with me,” she said. “Or because I didn’t have a storefront, people knew where they could find me around the area.”