SUNY Korea
History Makers
SBU
FIT
Press Release
Habin Lee, the recent PETE Award winner and FIT graduate, shares her inspiring journey from SUNY Korea FIT to New York. In this interview, she discusses her experiences, inspirations, and vision for the future as a fashion designer and entrepreneur. Habin highlights her dream of studying in New York and launching her innovative athletic wear brand, Ranea, showcasing her dedication and creativity in the industry.
1. Introduce yourself My name is Habin Lee. I am a graduate of FIT Spring 2023. I received an AAS degree in Fashion Design at FIT SUNY Korea and received a BS degree in Technical Design at FIT New York. I am a fashion designer and an entrepreneur, running the athletic wear brand, Ranea, in New York.
2. Can you explain your brand, Ranea? Ranea is a therapeutic athletic wear brand that aims to create garments which prevent injuries and increase comfort. Ranea aims to alleviate the wearer’s physical pain during rehabilitation and remind people of the joy of having an active lifestyle.
3. What is the PETE Prize competition about? PETE Prize is an entrepreneurial competition hosted by DTech from FIT. It is funded by Peter G. Scotese with the initial funding of Edwin Goodman. PETE Prize is awarded to a visionary entrepreneur with an innovative idea. It is an entrepreneurship competition. Anyone with innovative ideas can apply. You can go to the PETE Prize website or the FIT DTech website to apply.
4. Can you explain what you created and the inspiration behind it? I have created a zone-compression top that targets specific muscle groups to provide higher stabilization for agility movements. I was inspired by my injury history. After experiencing sciatica pain for almost a year, I had to adjust my lifestyle and training regime to recover from the injury and prevent it in the future. I wanted a garment that could help me through the unknown process. More specifically, I wanted a garment that could provide core stability while I rebuild muscle mass and strength again.
5. Were there any difficulties throughout the design process? Since I am not a textile expert nor have years of experience in athletic apparel design, I had to experiment a lot. I think believing in my hypothesis until I proved it through a physical prototype was the biggest challenge. However, I was able to receive so much help from the DTech and FIT professors, who guided me through the experimentation.
6. How did you get to know about FIT – New York and how did you apply? I have known of FIT since I was a kid. I think it is a well-known school, especially if you dream of working in the fashion industry. I studied at Hong Kong Polytechnic University before I applied to SUNY Korea. I joined SUNY Korea in 2019 to transfer to FIT. I then continued my studies in New York because I was interested in the diverse and creative culture of the city. New York is also one of the best cities for young entrepreneurs. I expected to gain more opportunities to connect with the NY fashion network through FIT. FIT is well-known for its huge alumni group with reliable board members in the fashion industry. I went to New York right after graduating from the AAS program in 2021. I then graduated from the BS program in NY in Spring 2023.
7. Would you like to share any messages or advice for upcoming SUNY Korea FIT students planning to continue their studies at FIT New York or Milan after earning their AAS degree? Don’t be shy to connect with people. Everything you want to achieve will happen through your connections. Professor Bess, the former Chair of FIT Korea Fashion Design, always emphasized that your career should be pulled up by your community.
8. Any future or career goals you would like to achieve? I would like to successfully launch Ranea in Q3 2024 and run the company for at least five years with the help of the sports community. It is my dream to see people wearing Ranea at the gyms. When Ranea kicks off and settles down, I would like to launch an MTO service for professional athletic teams. My personal goal is to learn woodworking soon. Click Here For More
On October 16th, SUNY Korea’s Museum of Modern Costume had the honor of opening its doors to showcase the work of Jaewon Park, a brilliant artist who has brought her Korean roots to life through fashion design. To celebrate the new exhibition, Resonance: 60 years of Jaewon Park’s Design Legacy, SUNY held a reception & ribbon cutting ceremony with faculty, staff, and students joining Jaewon Park in recognizing her remarkable career. The reception began with a ribbon cu
SUNY Korea participated in the recent IGC Career Day event, which featured a series of mentorship sessions led by professionals from various industries and companies. The event took place at the Incheon Global Campus on October 12, 2024, hosted by all four universities (SUNY Korea, George Mason Korea, Ghent University Global Campus, and Utah Asia Campus). It began with a special introductory lecture on recruiting trends in companies, followed by a total of 12 mentorship sessions cove
SUNY Korea will celebrate ‘Hanbok Day’ on October 21st as a new campaign with students from the Fashion Design Department at FIT. ‘Hanbok Day’ is a day to recognize the cultural significance of this traditional Korean attire, and to promote its preservation and development in fashion. This day was established by the Korean government in 1996, and it serves as an important occasion to honor Korea’s cultural heritage and strengthen bonds across generation
A new exhibition, “Resonance: 60 Years of Jaewon Park’s Design Legacy,” will open at the SUNY Korea Museum of Modern Costume on October 16, 2023. This special exhibition will run until March 7, 2024, and will be divided into two parts. The first part will feature the theme of “Black and White,” while the second part will resonate with “Color,” with around 30 outfits on display. Jaewon Park was the first Korean to host the International
SUNY Korea has conducted a training program to strengthen school administrator capabilities in the age of AI digitalization in cooperation with the Seoul Bukbu Office of Education. The training program was held at Incheon Global Campus for two days on September 24 and September 26, and more than 160 people, including Lee Jeong-hee, head of the Seoul Bukbu Office of Education, 140 middle and high school principals, vice principals, and scholars, attended. The two lectures were prov