Art and Soul : Trisha Wilson

Although Trisha Wilson has played a pivotal role in some of the most ambitious mega-resort projects the world has ever seen, she remains completely grounded and dedicated to her philanthropy.

By Ayesha Khan

[highlight_text] “My team challenged small local manufacturing facilities to step up and accept the challenge of our custom designed pieces. [/highlight_text]

It CAN be Done” reads a plaque on the desk of the president and CEO of this smart Dallas design office. In walks the vibrant Southern Belle, who has channelled the advice of her beloved plaque for the past 29 years. She greets each employee with a contagious effervescence. The very sight of her motivates her gifted employees, several of whom have been with her for over ten years. This chic Turtle Creek Boulevard office is the command center of Wilson Associates, Trisha Wilson’s vast realm of interior design, with offices scattered across the globe, from Los Angeles, Dallas and New York, to Johannesburg, India, and even as far afield as China and Singapore. As the office buzzes with activity, Wilson will most likely spend the day on the phone, “I talk on the phone endlessly. I spend my days communicating with all different people- employees, clients, vendors…” she tells us, “Because our six offices span the globe and are in different time zones, there is never an hour in the day when the office is closed!” We are actually lucky to have caught her on a day when she’s not travelling; her schedule has her regularly shuttling across the world, from South Africa to Singapore. But she is not at all complaining, “I love travelling!” she says with a smile.

And it is this “can do” attitude that has won the University of Texas-educated designer international acclaim. Her success story has been taught as a case study at Harvard Business School, and she serves on a host of administrative committees. She has also won an impressive array of accolades, including 19 Golden Key awards for exceptional service to the worldwide hospitality industry. But what is most interesting is that Wilson didn’t always see this as her future. “When I first graduated from college, I would have never dreamed that one day I would own an international interior design firm with seven offices around the globe! After graduation, I went to work for a department store chain in their home furnishings department,” she tells us with endearing honesty and enthusiasm. After her department store gig, Wilson went on to work on several residential projects but the crucial turning point came when Wilson made a “gutsy phone call” to hotel developer Trammel Crow. The result was the Anatole hotel in Dallas, and Wilson’s fate as one of world’s most prominent designers was sealed.

Wilson then landed some of the industry’s most sought-after projects, and an arsenal of repeat customers, from Ritz-Carlton and Four Seasons to Sheldon Adelson. But it is her long-time relationship with Sol Kerzner that truly brings a smile to Wilson’s face. “Sol is constantly challenging me in terms of innovative, creative design. What amazes me is the way he interprets and understands the drawings. He motivates me to really look into the design and evaluate it with him. Our one-on-one dialogue is the key to make sure the vision is executed,” she tells us.

Sol Kerzner concurs: “Trisha is great. We first worked together on the Palace of the Lost City. I met up with her, and I saw her work, and felt she was very talented. She has to be one of the best talents in the world. That is what it is about: using the best, most talented people! I have worked with Trisha over 17 years.” Upon the launch of the Palace of the Lost City, the media asserted that Wilson and her team had changed the face of design in South Africa. And for good reason- the project saw an elaborate display of fine design, from its six-story Grand Lobby to its dazzling Crystal Court, where a 10,000 piece mosaic was drawn from 60 different types of semi-precious stone, and the massive 5,000 piece crystal chandelier presided over giant elephant sculptures. “My team challenged small local manufacturing facilities to step up and accept the challenge of our custom designed pieces. We spent many months at factories showing them what Sol had envisioned in terms of furniture, fabric, lighting, and carpet design. We taught them how to stretch their abilities.”

On a personal note, this project remains closest to Wilson’s heart. “This project was my introduction to Africa, which is now my second home, and I met my wonderful husband while working on this three-year labor of love,” explains Wilson, who now spends half her time in her second home, the Izignwe Bush Lodge, three hours north of Johannesburg. “Named Izingwe, for the Zulu word meaning ‘leopard’, this home is my own personal retreat. I spend as much time as I can here with friends, family and business associates! My design team took full advantage of the site, maximizing and framing views. I wanted the design to be that of a traditional African Safari Lodge, incorporating as much of the natural environment as possible,” she says, of her African sanctuary.

Wilson’s introduction to South Africa also spawned her beloved Wilson Foundation, which went on to support hundreds of South African families. She now supports several establishments, including an HIV/AIDS care center and the first private school in the Vaalwater area of South Africa. So when Oprah Winfrey decided to open her Leadership Academy for Girls in Johannesburg, she called upon Wilson to bring the project to fruition. Wilson has also been a strong supporter of Lisa Evans’ Texas-based Meadows Foundation. “Trisha Wilson is the consummate entrepreneur, having created Wilson Associates, one of the world’s premier design firms. However, she is not just an outstanding businesswoman, she is a compassionate human being, a caring philanthropist, and a loyal friend Throughout her career, she has willingly given both her time and resources to numerous charitable causes that touch her heart. Through her generosity and hard work, both here and abroad, she is making life better for thousands whose lives are touched by her benevolence,” Evans told us.

Since that pivotal project in South Africa, Kerzner and Wilson have been an inseparable dream team. “The two of them together were like Lennon and McCartney and to this day continue to conceptualize, design, and bring to life some of the most stunning, unique, and fun resorts around the world. Trisha is peerless and with all that she has accomplished still gives back more than what she takes. She’s family to us,” said Kerzner International Executive Vice President Jerry Inzerillo. The two worked together on an impressive 14 other resorts, including the colossal Atlantis, Paradise Island, One&Only Le Touessrok in Mauritius, and the wildly successful One&Only Royal Mirage in Dubai.

At the same time Wilson and her dedicated team kept busy designing hotels and destination resorts spanning as far and wide as Hawaii and Thailand. But it was in nearby Las Vegas that Wilson landed her most elaborate mega-project. The brainchild of Las Vegas gaming magnate and Forbes’ 3rd richest American Sheldon Adelson, the Venetian was the most ambitious project the strip had ever seen. “As I listened to Sheldon Adelson talk about his vision for recreating the Italian city of Venice in the desert, I realized we were about to make hotel history, designing and building the world’s largest hotel, casino, and convention project. And with a budget of $1.5 billion, the possibility existed to make it truly remarkable.” And that is just what Wilson and her team did, with the help of countless craftsmen who hand-painted each and every canal wall, hand-carved every molding, and appointed more than 6,000 guests suites. Just one look at the stunning entry arcade, with its hand-painted murals, is enough to amaze even a native Venetian.

Of course, Sol Kerzner took note. He needed little convincing that an ongoing collaboration with Wilson was crucial, but her show of design prowess at the Venetian was truly impressive. Kerzner and Wilson’s next two collaborative efforts are set in the Middle East. Mazagan, located in El Jadida, will see Wilson Associates impart the same Moroccan charm found at the One&Only Royal Mirage, with a modern twist. The 500-room resort will incorporate the omnipresent Portuguese and Moorish design influences to be found in El Jadida, and will feature an array of charming Moroccan, Portuguese, and Mediterranean restaurants and a 20,000 square foot spa.

What’s more, the second installment in the Atlantis story will see a host of new and exciting design statements. “Atlantis, The Palm’s design scale is much bigger and grander than Atlantis, Paradise Island. The ‘wow effects’ will be exponentially better than ten years ago. This development is unlike any other development going on in Dubai right now. It fulfils the Atlantian Fantasy!” explains James Carry, lead designer and long-time friend of Sol Kerzner.

With projects in over 46 countries on her repertoire and over one million hotel rooms installed, Wilson now looks to the future with a gleam in her eye. She and her firm are working on some sixty new projects, including five new Ritz-Carlton projects, six new Fairmont resorts and Singapore’s prestigious St. Regis development. Building upon her close relationship with Sheldon Adelson, Wilson will be a key player in both the Venetian Macau and Palazzo Las Vegas projects. As we reluctantly get up to leave, Wilson sends us off with genuine affection. Close friend and U.S. Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison says it best: “Trisha Wilson is a spectacular person who is full of life. She is one of the world’s greatest designers, but she is still down to earth and has a heart as big as Texas.”