A passion for the fashion industry has fuelled Hadley Tucker?s dreams since his boyhood, but with the opening of Headz Up Fashions, the Bermudian entrepreneur has translated his flair into function.

With his store located at 30 Ord Road in Paget, the young entrepreneur hopes to play a part in the revitalisation of the area, often stereotyped as an unsavoury haven for criminal activity.

A former general manager of The Source in the Washington Mall, Mr. Hadley, 31, opened Headz Up Fashions in December, 2005.

Azzure, Pzi Denim, Indigo Red, Guilyard, Palis, Ether and Meezan are among the select lines offered at the store and Mr. Tucker is planning to introduce additional lines over the coming year.

Mr. Tucker said he expects that Polo shirts, plaid shorts and jean shorts will be the key popular items of apparel this summer.

?Fashion is about attitude, you can tell if a person is having a good day by their dress,? Mr. Tucker said. ?Or, if they having an okay day, they could wear anything.?

But Mr. Tucker is driven by a community spirit as well as a keen interest in fashion ? he wants to make a difference.

?I was born and raised in this area and I am trying to change the neighbourhood and give it a more positive outlook,? he said. ?For some of my younger peers, this shows what you can do if are prepared to make some sacrifices.?

Mr. Tucker said his store is geared toward both the casual market and the semi-upscale market both for men and women.

The name of the store was derived from his nickname and a difficult year he experienced which saw the deaths of three family members within a nine-month period.

?I said to myself keep your head up and stride forward and that?s where the name came into play,? he said.

Mr. Tucker is keen to go the extra mile to satisfy customers and he said the growth of his business will be enhanced by the quality of service he offers.

?If you don?t have good customer service skills and selling techniques you are not going to survive,? he said.