Nona Cunane, AS '95, rarely misses an opportunity to explore the extraordinary. While at the University of Delaware, she studied at the University of Granada in Spain. She also interned at Walt Disney World. "You should do things in life that you enjoy," she says.

In 1998, Cunane launched StyleBug.com, an Internet site that sells designer evening wear. It's the stuff movie star dreams are made of--Badgley Mischka, Escada and Vera Wang. The original price tags are also jaw-dropping. Consider a Vera Wang dress for $2,900 or an Escada for $5,900.

But for StyleBug customers, those prices are history. The site offered the Vera Wang for $775 and the Escada for $1,100. Such bargains are not uncommon here. And customers from Alaska to Texas are snatching them up. While many dot-coms have dot-crashed, Cunane's business is soaring. Cunane credits her entrepreneurial spirit, a sense of adventure and her knack for spotting a trend.

Cunane grew up in an entrepreneurial household. Her mother, Nona J. Cunane, founded Guardian Construction Co. in Bear, Del., where her father also works. The couple fostered Cunane's independent nature. "I wouldn't be where I am if it weren't for my mom and dad," Cunane says.

At UD, she first majored in fashion merchandising, then switched to criminal justice. As part of an independent study project, she assisted criminal justice faculty member Ramiro Martinez, who studied the relationship between immigration and Miami's murder rate.

"His passion for the subject carried over to the whole class," she recalls. "He was very professional and always prepared for class. In addition, he respected his students' intelligence and brought out the best in them." Martinez encouraged her to think about life after college.

Cunane also learned outside the classroom. When she was a sophomore, she was a resident assistant in Kent Hall. The experience taught her to mix authority with affability.

She expanded her people skills at the Walt Disney World College Program, an internship that lets students learn while gaining real-world experience. After graduation, she worked in Guardian's personnel department. It was the mid-1990s, and Beanie Babies were all the rage. Cunane's sister sold them on eBay. "There was a big-time demand," Cunane says. Her sister's success prompted her to think of other saleable items. With her background in fashion, she decided to sell designer clothes.

But, first, she had to sell the idea to designers. No small task. "They didn't trust me," she says. "They have an image to protect." She persisted. She knew designers needed an outlet to unload old merchandise. Highbrow designers shudder at the idea of a bricks-and-mortar outlet. They also refused to sell to discount stores.

Cunane spent a year knocking on doors. Finally, Escada, a German design house, showed interest. The bulk of their outdated merchandise, however, was evening wear. The same was true for other designers. A niche was born. "It's something unique on the Internet," Cunane notes. Indeed, there are plenty of designer discount sites and used designer clothes sites. Yet there are few designer evening wear sites.

Meanwhile, Cunane had to develop a web site. A lack of computer skills was no hindrance. She took a web design course, and a "computer genius" at Guardian handled the programming. He now works 20 hours for Guardian and 20 hours for StyleBug.

Cunane hatched the part-time business in her apartment. Gowns, studded with sequins and rhinestones, all purchased with credit cards, crowded the bedroom, kitchen and living room. She went full time a year later and moved to converted construction trailers behind Guardian.

The gowns hang on racks in a secluded section, the rich fabrics preserved at a precise temperature and humidity. Step into the room, and the humble surroundings fall away. A sparkling lavender Escada evokes images of a New York penthouse party. A midnight blue gown with a plunging neckline cries for Hollywood's red carpets. A mannequin wears a snappy scarlet number worthy of Jennifer Lopez or Catherine Zeta-Jones.

There are two fitting rooms for customers who make appointments. "They look so much better on people than on the hanger," Cunane says. Which is saying something. Many gowns are works of art. "The beadwork is exquisite," Linda Juni, a StyleBug fashion consultant, says. "You don't find dresses like this at any mall."

Most StyleBug customers order via the Internet. They call Juni if they have questions. Offering personal service is imperative when you're dealing with designer merchandise, says Chicago consultant Lauren Freedman, president of The E-tailing Group. "There's the hand-holding piece--that's a challenge for an Internet-based business," she explains. A man in Alaska, who buys for his wife, keeps Juni on the phone for hours, poring over the dresses.

Cunane and Juni have noticed style preferences based on customer location. Texans lean toward ball gowns with poofy skirts. New York socialites prefer sleek column dresses. Despite the sputtering economy, big cities still have charity galas. If anything, the economy has helped the business. "People don't want to pay retail," Cunane says.

The most expensive dress in StyleBug's stable, a $10,900 Chanel, sold for $1,400. An older bride purchased it for a second wedding. Keeping the collection stocked with such bargains takes time. Cunane may spend one day with a design house in Washington D.C., the next in New York. She primarily travels in fall and spring, the fashion industry's peak seasons.

She buys items in batches. Last fall, she purchased 200 pairs of Badgley Mischka shoes, worn on the New York runways. Sometimes, she buys lots without inspecting items firsthand, but it can be risky. "They send them, and I'm like, 'Oh, why?'" She sells less palatable pieces--such as lime-green coats--at a lower cost. "If they have a designer label on them, they'll move."

Once it is sold, clothing is put through an inspection. Items are dry-cleaned and checked for tears or missing sequins, with a magnifier for intricate work. Dresses are packed with tissue paper and sent by UPS, which visits StyleBug twice a day. One customer, however, paid an extra $80 to have a dress packed in a special garment box. StyleBug has a 14-day return policy; customers pay shipping.

Currently, Cunane has seven full- and part-time employees. Kari Brown, AS 2000, one of the first StyleBug employees, keeps the office running smoothly. Some of the others are undergraduate UD fashion-merchandising majors. "They can hardly believe that they get to work with designer clothes," she says. Some students model clothes for web site photos, snapped by UD art majors.

Cunane says she hopes to build StyleBug int a sellable business. She'd like to remain part time, before moving to her next endeavor. You can bet it won't be boring. "I'm all about passion," she says.

-Pam George