Belfast-based fashion designer Una Rodden (pictured left) puts a lot of her success down to being in the right place at the right time.

But we at Sugahfix, plus her growing fanbase of fashionable women, put it down to the 35-year-old's brimful of talent, her innate flair for fashion and her knack for knowing what women want and the looks that will flatter them.

That, and her drive and ability for embracing sheer hard work, too.

Her epoynmous boutique, Una Rodden Couture in Belfast city centre's Upper Arthur Street, is a showcase for her designs, as well as cherry-picked labels including local talents Catherine B headwear and jewellery and Grainne Maher Millinery, plus a selection of young local and European designers.

Una Rodden women are, in the designer's own words: "Quite glamorous, hard-working, but with a good home life and work/home balance. She likes to socialise and has plenty of parties to go to."

She's also a woman who likes to stand out from the crowd, confident yet feminine, and, laughs Una, "more glamorous than I am!"

The style scene in Belfast these days - creative, innovative, dynamic - is very different to the one Una first encountered back at the turn of the millennium, and yet this modest style pioneer has played a major role in helping to create and shape it.

"These days, people are more willing to take a risk with their clothes. There's a lot more individuality and quirkiness. People have more confidence in their own style," says Una, who employs one person full time along with fashion-loving freelancers and students. It's a small team, which is how she likes it.

After graduating with a degree in Fashion Design from the Limerick School of Art and Design, the then-21 year old from Buncrana got work on a project styling images for stock photographs for a catalogue.

That led to a job for Eircell Ireland's Visa card where she was asked to make a credit card catsuit, to be modelled by a young model called Yvonne - later better known as Mrs Ronan Keating.

Although quickly followed by a stint designing corporate uniforms for the likes of Ryanair and Bank of Ireland, it was actually a chance meeting with a former employer that set Una on the road to Belfast, and, ultimately, her own label.

"I'd done a work placement for designer Michelle O'Doherty when I was 17, and years later I bumped into her in Dublin. She said I was the very person she was looking for and asked me to move to Belfast to work for her, managing her new boutique," she explains.

"She couldn't guarantee anything, my job or the boutique's success, but I was only 25, so I took the risk."

With very few independent designers in Belfast at the time, the market was unknown, yet together, Michelle and Una created a success story.

"I became more involved in what she was doing and in making stuff in the shop. I respected the business and treated it like my own. It was good craic, I enjoyed it and we're still friends.

"Around the same time, I set up a boutique in Buncrana, called Identity, with my sister Joanne, and I would make the odd thing for it.

"It was ambitious, opening a designer shop in Buncrana," laughs Una, "but I owe a lot of what we're doing today to it. Without it, we wouldn't have had the references or contacts to launch in Belfast."

When Michelle moved to Amsterdam five years ago, her client base was left wondering what to do, as was Una.

But setting up on her own was the next natural step for the talented designer.

Una offers a bespoke service at Identity, every other Saturday, as she does in Una Rodden Couture, where you'll find the workshop - a hive of industry and creativity - at the back of the boutique, in full view of shoppers.

"People associate us with wedding wear and the bespoke service, where I'm making someone else's designs, while adding my own advice and suggestions, but there's a big difference between it and my own designs.

"My designs have evolved and matured over the years. I understand a woman's body, what will fit and what people are looking for."

Describing Una Rodden Couture as "quite dressy, but timeless", it's the sort of clothing that you could lift out of the wardrobe again in a couple of seasons and add a new belt, or dress it up or down, and it would still look fresh.

"It's different and quirky," adds Una, "and not exceptionally expensive, it's not beyond peoples' budget. It's not ultra-expensive and it's not high street - we've created our own niche.

"And we haven't increased our prices, we offer value for money and I'm now using more hard-wearing fabric that will last for years, such as the brocade in my winter 2010 collection."

Una admits that the fashion industry is a hard business to be in and advises young designers to be prepared to work hard and keep grafting. "It's a difficult business to survive in and it can be a long time before you get anywhere.

"We've been lucky, we're seen in the Press and celebrities, including Nadine Coyle, Sharon Corr, Mischa Barton, Ruby Wax and Christine Bleakley, have been pictured wearing our clothes."

So where does she go from here? "That's a good question," says Una. "I've been thinking recently about what to do. I usually get bored very easily and I've been in the shop for five years so far.

"I've been wondering about what to do next, about how we can move forward. I want to develop my own range more, maybe get into other shops or online, get the name out there, but it's a question of where we go."

Una may not know where she's going, but we do - to the top of the fashion industry. Watch this space!

For more info on Una's Belfast boutique Una Rodden Couture click here.

To view Una's catwalk collection at Belfast FASHION WEEK click here.

We went through our extensive photographic archive and created a gallery of Una's work, which has been featured on Sugahfix - on the catwalk and in our own fashion shoots from AW08 till now. Click on the link below to view.