Fashion is his passion!

Jan 24 2008 by Hilarie Stelfox, Huddersfield Daily Examiner

Fashion is his passion!

‘Working hard and playing hard is his mantra. In his youth, the 40-year-old dreamed of a professional football career until a serious knee injury dashed his chances’

Graham Woodward is a man with a strong competitive streak and a background in fashion. He’s also the new manager of Huddersfield’s House of Fraser store, Beatties. HILARIE STELFOX went along to meet him – and asked him to model his own choice in clothes

ARE the best bosses those who make their way up, quite literally in Graham Woodward’s case, from the shop floor?

“It’s not the only way but it does mean that you’ve got lots of experience working in different roles,’’ says Graham, the new manager of Beatties in Huddersfield.

He launched his own retail career working as an assistant for Dunn and Co, a traditional men’s outfitters and by the time he left for pastures new he was the manager.

Fifteen years ago he joined the House of Fraser group, of which Beatties now belongs, and was posted to Meadowhall, where, once again, he became store manager.

Graham, who is married with two children and lives in Sheffield, is clearly a man who thrives on a challenge. At the moment he’s heading up both the Huddersfield and Doncaster House of Fraser stores, shuttling between the two until he eventually settles here at the end of the month.

Working hard and playing hard is his mantra. In his youth, the 40-year-old dreamed of a professional football career until a serious knee injury dashed his chances. He also played tennis for Sheffield. “| enjoyed the camaraderie of football and the challenge of playing singles tennis. I have a strongly competitive nature,’’ said Graham.

To be an effective store manager Graham says you need: “Experience, passion and enthusiasm.’’ He already has a number of plans for the Huddersfield store, including the re-launch of the menswear department. “We’ll be bringing in new menswear brands and have already started stocking Ralph Lauren, which is one of my favourites.

“But we’re also going to be promoting our House of Fraser own label Linea, which offers great value for money. Some people perceive us as more expensive than we actually are for many brands, although we do sell the more expensive brands as well,’’ he explained.