Meet The CEO



Dante Dominique Thomas also known as Luchi TheDesigner ( born July 20th 1997 ) in New Orleans Louisiana, Is an American fashion designer and the founder of the handbag brand ATHENA. In just 11 months, Luchi has made his mark in the fashion industry with well known celebrities like Supa Cent, Keri Hilson, Regina Carter, Ari Fletcher, Chloe Bailey and more paying recognition to this young black designer

 

Early Life and Education

Luchi was born in The 9th ward of New Orleansand raised by a single mother alongside his foursiblings and step brother. His nickname, Luchi, was given to him by his cousin Kyriee who is now deceased. Despite having a rough upbringing-which included losing a few relatives such as his grandmother and grandfather as well as the absence of his father in his childhood, Luchi managed to overcome the many obstacles that could have hindered his success. 

One of the ways Luchi was able to overcome those difficulties was through art. At just 9 years old, Luchi became one of top art students within his class at Ames Elementary. His passion for art and design reached new heights prior to leaving Gretna Middle and West Jefferson High School, where he helped paint his art teacher’s entire classroom.

After graduating high school at 17, Luchi attended Xavier University as a Pharmaceutical major and maintained employment at Walmart while searching for his path in life.

It Started with a Giant Leap

In late 2019, Luchi took a giant leap of faith,moving from his hometown to Houston, TX alone for a fresh start. He decided to focus on building a brand in the fashion industry.

Luchi maintained his job at Walmart and saved money by sleeping on an air mattress for 3 months inside his apartment. He used those savings to purchase a computer so he could study e-commerce and fashion.

After this research, Luchi’s first venture was “Black Diamonds,” a boutique where items were drop-shipped to consumers. While Luchi’s first business venture was successful, he still hungered to create his own brand. In early 2020, Luchi also began working to launch a cosmetic brand under “Black Diamonds,” however this line was never released.

In May 2021, Luchi had his first and only child, his beautiful daughter Harmonia Thomas. Her birth ignited a greater passion within Luchi to build a brand and create a legacy for his child. Later that same day, he had a conversation with a friend, brainstorm business names and ideas. That conversation was the inception of ATHENA. The brand named in honor of the goddess of all goddesses (coincidentally this was once intended to be the name of the beauty line Luchi was working on).

Building a Brand and a Legacy

September 1, 2021, ATHENA was launched and the brand was born! In the first month of business, ATHENA caught the eye of the beautiful Ms. Reginae Carter (daughter of Lil Wayne and Toya Johnson). Not only did she purchase her first bag,Ms. Carter did an unexpected unboxing on social media which gave ATHENA a much larger audience and helped to grow Luchi’s business . Within two months, Ms. Reginae Carter purchased two more handbags and did a second unboxing on social media in December 2021 that expanded Luchi’s business even further.

Since then, Luchi’s design aesthetic with ATHENA has captured the attention and business of many more celebrities as well as consumers. In the year since he launched ATHENA, Luchi has been featured in several articles, blogs, and grown a wonderful fan base.

As he makes his mark on the fashion industry, Luchi hasn’t forgotten his roots. He loves giving back and supporting his community. In November 2021 Luchi purchased $10,000 worth of new shoes from a local Foot Locker and gave them to students at a local school with good grades and behavior. In December of the same year, Luchi gave away ten PlayStation 5s and paid rent for single mothers so they would be able to purchase Christmas presents.

It’s very clear Luchi TheDesigner is an amazing designer and business owner who has an astounding future ahead. Bigger and better things are surely on the horizon for this star designer.