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Why did you decide to study at SUNY Korea FIT? 

The main reason I started the AAS program at SUNY Korea FIT was because of the language and environment. If I had gone directly to New York, I would have had to spend time adjusting to the language and environment, which might have affected my focus on school. However, at SUNY Korea, I was able to fully concentrate on my schoolwork with the help from the Korean faculty. 

What made you decide to go to FIT New York Campus?

Of course, I learned and experienced a lot at SUNY Korea FIT, but I believed that there were certain things that could only be learned at the New York campus. Firstly, as everyone knows, New York is renowned for its fashion industry, so the range of inspiration that can be seen and felt in both school and daily life is much broader. Additionally, I wanted to meet a more diverse group of students and professors at the New York campus to learn on a wider scale. I wanted to take classes not only with fashion design students but also with students from other majors and expand my opportunities to interact with them. Without hesitation, I applied to FIT's New York Campus.

Could you explain the award you received and the Fashion Design BFA Program?

In the Fashion Design BFA Program at FIT's New York campus, each year the graduating students' thesis works are evaluated, and one winner is chosen from each specialization class. During the final thesis course, a panel of critics, who have been working closely with us throughout the semester, evaluates our work. These critics are responsible for selecting one winner among us. The winners of the Critic's Award automatically get the opportunity to showcase their designs in a fashion show and have a separate exhibition. This year I was awarded the Critic Award from the knitwear category by the senior design director of knitwear at Coach, Stacey Tester. 

To briefly explain the Fashion Design BFA Program semester by semester, in the first semester of the third year, students are exposed to all specializations within the fashion design department. This allows us to explore and determine which specialization suits us best. Courses cover sportswear, knitwear, intimate wear, special occasion and children’s wear. This is a time for us to reassess and discover our preferences.

Starting from the second semester of the third year, we take specialized courses based on the specialization we have chosen. During this semester, we receive fundamental lessons specific to our chosen specialization. In the first semester of the fourth year, we go deeper into advanced courses related to our specialization and begin to develop our thesis topics and portfolios. Finally, in the last semester, we focus on further developing our thesis, applying everything we have learned throughout the program, and creating our own designs.

To view Chaeeun Lee's Workbook, CLICK HERE