About Me
Eugene Lumpkin is a seasoned entrepreneur and creative leader with extensive experience in the apparel industry. He is the founder of Atelier Tens, a company at the forefront of 3D digital design, which he established in 2018. Eugene's deep understanding of the industry, coupled with his innovative thinking, has propelled him to the forefront of the fashion world.
With an executive masters in global strategic design and management, Eugene brings a unique blend of business acumen and creative expertise to his work. As a lecturer at Parsons Paris, he imparts his knowledge and passion for the industry to aspiring designers. Eugene has been a driving force behind the success of numerous international apparel brands and retailers, serving as a creative leader.
Eugene's focus extends beyond traditional design and business realms. He possesses a keen interest in sustainability and is certified in fashion sustainability. Recognizing the power of digital marketing, he has also earned certifications in this field. Eugene believes that creators hold the potential to make the world a better place and strives to uplift and embolden fellow creators.
As a multi-disciplined designer, Eugene employs creative and design thinking methodologies to address not only fashion-related challenges but also human-centered, social, and ecological issues. In an era of disruptive change across various industries, Eugene emphasizes the cultivation of skills and practices that foster newness and innovation.
Eugene and his team at Atelier Tens specialize in 3D digital design, distinguishing themselves as experts capable of turning concepts into reality. Their comprehensive range of services includes concept & trend, style creation, 3D design, rendering, patterns, tech packs, consulting and product development and management throughout the value chain. Additionally, they have successfully marketed and sold their own brands demonstrating their prowess in both design and business.
Operating at the intersection of fashion, technology, and sustainability, Eugene brings a unique perspective to product design and development. His commitment to digitalization and his ability to envision the future of the industry set him apart as a trailblazer. With Eugene Lumpkin at the helm, Atelier Tens continues to push the boundaries of innovation and shape the future of the apparel industry.
My Story
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“Instead of designing products, creatives will be designing making systems, giving design back its initial strength of relating to and synthesizing our times." - an excerpt on social design from A Labour of Love by Lidewij Edelkoort & Philip Fimmano
I currently live, and have a design studio, in Belgium, called Atelier Tens. I relocated from New York City in 2015. I am inspired by the multilingual and creative Belgian culture, the international scene and its proximity to other countries, being in the heart of Europe. My American joie d’espirit blends and contrasts against the backdrop of the St. Klet area, along the canal, the outré limits of the city’s edge, where I reside. It reminds me of Greenpoint, Brooklyn and the Long Island City, Queens, areas were I lived before moving here 6 years ago. But it’s far different from where I grew up in Minneapolis, Minnesota in the 80’s and 90’s.
I began my professional career designing menswear for Munsingwear (known for their iconic Penguin brand) after graduating from the University Of Minnesota in 1990 with a bachelors degree in clothing design. A native of Minneapolis, I eventually moved on to work for another Minnesota based company called St. Croix Knits. Along with designing the company's own line of exclusive sweaters, I created private label collections for Bergdorf Goodman, Neiman Marcus, the Takashimaya department stores (Japan) and a signature collection for American designer Alexander Julian.
After this experience in the US, I designed sweaters in Canada and took on projects for Versace V2. Eventually I went on to create a label under my own name, which was produced in Italy and sold to specialty retailers throughout the U.S. In 1999, I worked in Montreal creating the Ron Chereskin and Bill Blass outerwear and sportswear brands for the Canadian market. The following year, in 2000, I moved to New York City joining the legendary American designer label Perry Ellis as a Sr. Designer for suits and pants for the collection and Portfolio brand and went to Parsons School Of Design for further studies and training to enhance my skills and techniques.
Upon leaving Perry Ellis I took on a number of projects, working for Champion Sportswear, the launch of C-9 Activewear for Target and freelance design at Tommy Hilfiger. And I created a lifestyle streetwear brand called Twelve Inch LP, in 2004, which was a multi-platform e-commerce, digital and social media brand. It was ahead of its time and targeted a burgeoning millennial customer base. In 2005, I was tapped to join Sears and was part of a transformative apparel design team, assembled in New York City, to reinvent the private label brands for the retailer. I led the company's menswear division in the creation and proliferation of several clothing lines, launching Roebuck and Co., and other brands that became a hallmark of Sears's success.
In 2015 I came to Brussels, Belgium to work for the retail brand C&A. As part of the creative leadership team brought together to overhaul and renew the 178 year old company’s brand image, I oversaw the formal menswear collections, outerwear, accessories, nightwear and underwear categories for the European market. I gained exposure to international markets and was part of the efforts to bring fashion and relevance to a new era of customers and younger audience for the mega retailer.
I started my own company in Belgium in 2018 to focus on fashion and innovation. Technology, digitalization, sustainability and ecology are fundamental aspects of the operation. My primary goal is to seek opportunities that ignite my passion and drive my spirit to continue to expand beyond limits. I am an advocate and ambassador for ecological, ethical and responsible design with certification from the Swedish Sustainable Fashion Academy, and a Masters’ in Strategic Design and Management from Parsons Paris.