Building a Career Across Continents—and Characters—with Roena Ong

Before she ever styled a model or art-directed a shoot, Roena Ong was building entire universes—on screen.

“I thought I was going to be a game designer,” she says. “I was really into cinematic gameplay—Final Fantasy, The Last of Us—the kind of games where character design and visual storytelling were everything.”

Roena studied animation at Emily Carr University, originally imagining a career in game or concept design. She was captivated by the lore and world-building that gave life to virtual characters. “I loved how intentional it all was,” she says. “Every texture, silhouette, and accessory said something about the character’s backstory. And I realized—that’s what costume design does too. That’s what styling can do.”

What began as a love of video games and dress-up games (those “early-2000s Barbie drag-and-drop sites,” she laughs) eventually evolved into something much more layered. Cosplay became an entry point for hands-on making. “I used to make costumes for people. I wasn’t just admiring characters—I was recreating them. And that gave me a different level of appreciation for garments, shape, and transformation.”

It was her therapist, actually, who suggested she consider fashion more seriously. “I’ve never been shy about being a nerd,” Roena says. “At one point I said, ‘I have a degree in being a nerd.’ But when I stepped back, I realized my interests—art history, character design, fashion—were all connected.”

She enrolled in the Fashion Business & Creative Arts program at JCI, hoping to bridge her conceptual training with industry skills. “Emily Carr taught me how to think and critique and sketch. JCI helped me sharpen those skills into something more practical. The education complemented what I already had—and filled in a lot of gaps.”

One of her biggest surprises? How much she enjoyed fashion buying. “It helped me see where value really comes from. What part of a price is materials or labor, and what part is marketing or brand? That kind of thinking changed how I approach styling too. Everything has a backstory—every item is part of a system.”

But what stuck most deeply was fashion history. “That was my jam,” she says. “I already had a background in art history, so learning how designers reference old eras or artworks? I could nerd out forever. I used to joke that I don’t know much about sports, but talk to me about McQueen or Margiela and I’ll give you a whole dissertation.”

Roena’s styling work today reflects that deep visual literacy. Her editorials are filled with historical and cultural references, always filtered through her own lens. One of her best-known projects—Salaì, a photo story inspired by Leonardo da Vinci’s muse—was styled with Renaissance and medieval themes, featuring the model in sculptural armor. “It was one of my favorite shoots,” she says. “And it ended up on Pinterest boards across Korea. People recognized it when I arrived.”

Roena moved to Seoul on a working holiday visa, drawn by the fast-moving fashion scene and the creative synergy between music, styling, and visual art. “Korea wasn’t part of some long-term plan—I just felt pulled to go,” she explains. “A lot of my friends were Korean, and the brands I admired were based there. I figured, why not see what it’s like?”

The leap paid off. She quickly connected with other creatives, built a styling network, and started getting published. She even received an invite to Seoul Fashion Week. “It was such a game-changer,” she says. “The organization, the energy, the brands—it was miles ahead of anything I’d experienced before. And the community was so welcoming.”

Roena still keeps in touch with her collaborators in Korea and hopes to return—or to relocate elsewhere in Asia, where she sees major opportunity. “There are so many incredible brands coming out of Asia right now—beautiful, experimental pieces that aren’t getting the visibility they deserve in Western markets,” she says. “I’d love to eventually launch a boutique or become a buyer, distributing Asian fashion goods here.”

In the meantime, she’s working in healthcare to support herself while continuing to style editorials and personal projects. She’s honest about what that looks like. “Look, I’m grateful for my job. But it’s not my destiny,” she says. “Sometimes you need something to sustain you while you’re building what’s next. And that’s okay.”

She wants current and future students to know that it’s not a failure to work outside the industry—or to take detours along the way. “Life happens. Priorities shift. That doesn’t mean your creative work isn’t valid. What matters is that you keep going. That you keep creating.”

For Roena, intention is everything. “You can’t be a creative by vibe alone,” she says. “Trends come and go, but your work has to have purpose. It has to say something. Ask yourself why you’re doing it.”

And stay curious. “Inspiration can come from anywhere—video games, art, science fiction. You never know what’s going to shape your voice. Just be open.”

That mindset continues to shape the work Roena puts into the world. From gaming to garments, from Seoul to Vancouver, her career is stitched together by storytelling. “I’m not trying to copy what’s out there,” she says. “I’m trying to create work that reflects what I care about—what I’ve lived, what I love. That’s the thread.”