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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. 

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