At school John McCluskey had two passions - sport and fashion. After his Leaving Certificate in Old Bawn Community School, Tallaght, Dublin, he decided to do a Fas course in sport. His studies included life-guarding, aerobics, gym and soccer.

Next he went to work for the Youthreach Scheme, teaching young people in inner city Dublin to play soccer. The following year he worked in the Tallaght Community Centre, doing aerobics and teaching in the gym.

To pursue his interest in fashion he started a PLC course at Crumlin College of Further Education. The best part of the course was the day and a half the class spent studying fashion. They also studied merchandising, marketing, the top designers, art and computer skills.

His two-week work experience was spent in Heaton's Ltd in Tallaght. "I was told to ring them the minute I finished the training," he says. Today he is a trainee menswear fashion buyer. Looking back, he believes it was his interest in fashion and in the whole buying area that made him a good candidate for the job.

The distribution company has 21 stores, he says, with another two opening up this year. Even the buying office where he works has doubled in size in the last year.

He works at the buyers' office in Tallaght. "I look after sales, what we would have to spend, quality control, "specking" garments. I look after socks, hats and gloves."

He still plays football but, day by day, his passion for fashion becomes more and more important to him.