RELAINE TONG
Relain Tong grew up in the countryside of Wuhan, China, influenced by her father, a calligraphy and ink painting artist, and her mother, a hand-knitting enthusiast. Practicing calligraphy from the age of five, Relain enjoyed drawing and making clothes for her dolls using scraps from her mother. In 2009, she migrated to Australia with her husband and had a daughter in 2012. Inspired by the joy of making garments for her daughter, Relain studied at RMIT in 2014. She began creating clothes and accessories for herself and friends, and their positive feedback led her to found her own fashion studio.
Relaine is both a pattern maker and seamstress for Abbie James
ARWEN CLEARY
Arwen is a visionary designer and product developer with decades of experience in Melbourne's fashion scene. Through her solo venture, 'Dog Solitude,' she supports small labels in sustainable development and production, offering services from sampling and pattern making to quality control and managing production. Specializing in clothing, homewares, leather goods, pet accessories, and textiles, Arwen excels in minimizing waste and enhancing efficiency. Her hands-on approach and innovative techniques ensure unique, high-quality, and ethically produced products, enabling designers to meet demand responsibly without overproduction.