Issue link: http://papercitymagazine.uberflip.com/i/520419
On April 14, an iPhone shot of Sir Richard Branson and Bill Hutchinson bumping fists in celebration landed anonymously in my inbox. Hutchinson's real estate investment firm, Dunhill Partners — which includes billionaire Tim Headington and Highland Park Village owner Ray Washburne — purchased the Dallas Design District last November, and rumors have circulated for months that Branson and Dunhill were cooking up a deal. (The first of Branson's Virgin Hotels to land across the pond opened in Chicago in January.) The photo's setting had a lounge-y, back-room-negotiations feel, with hot-pink LEDs illuminating a backdrop of curtains and the two men seated on a banquette heaped with fur and velvet pillows. Branson and Hutchinson, who are looking into the camera and smiling, could be brothers — both have long hair grazing the shoulders of their open white-collared shirts and impeccably tailored jackets; Hutchinson throws off the Saville Row look with pair of white jeans that are shredded at one knee. No information accompanied the image, and it has since vanished from the Design District's Facebook page where I saw it later, but we all knew what it could mean: A deal had been struck to bring the first Virgin Hotel to Dallas — more to the point, to the booming Dallas Design District. F rom the Dunhill offices, located on the edge of Highland Park overlooking the Knox-Henderson area, Hutchinson is more likely to greet visitors with an expansive hug than a handshake. The son of missionaries, Hutchinson grew up in Monterrey, Mexico, and earned a scholarship to SMU. In the often cutthroat world of commercial real estate, he's considered a good guy who does good things. Hutchinson founded Dunhill Partners, which now owns more than 30 shopping centers across the country, in 1984. It's also a family affair — his 20-something daughters Holly, Rachel and Tess handle marketing and PR at Dunhill. DUNHILL PARTNERS' BILL HUTCHINSON ON THE LATEST NEWS ROCKING THE DESIGN DISTRICT … AND WHAT ABOUT THOSE RUMORS OF A NEW VIRGIN HOTEL? Like a BY REBECCA SHERMAN H utchinson can't comment yet about any deals with Virgin or other possible hoteliers. (A formal confirmation and press release are expected any day now from Virgin Hotels, according to those with knowledge of the transaction.) But seated in his masculine, leather-and- polished-wood conference room, Hutchinson is enthusiastic about the plans he has for not just one, but two boutique hotels within the Design District. The area's first hotel will be situated next door to The Goss-Michael Foundation, near the corner of Turtle Creek and Hi Line Drive, with a 2018 opening date. "There is huge demand for more hotels in the area when everyone comes for market," he says. "Both hotels will include residences on top. There are already 2,500 people living in the district, with more living space and restaurants in demand. We don't want to lose the integrity of what the center is about — all of the design showrooms that are here will stay in place, no one is getting kicked out or torn down — and we'll let the development build up organically around them. We want to make the center even more of a cool, hip spot for Dallas." Two new restaurants will open in late fall, located inside the Decorative Center, which backs up to Hi Line: Fort Worth-based American Food and Beverage's farm-to-table gastropub and 13 Pies, formerly Fireside Pies pizza. A late-night lounge, Quill, will open in August adjoining Oak restaurant, which it will own and operate. Hutchinson has also commissioned an 18-foot-tall sculpture standing on a five-foot base by California artist Andrew Myers, which will be installed in the district later this summer. A blue-collar working man holding a hammer, the sculpture will have a pulsating heart that glows red; he hopes it will be as much of an attraction as Headington's quirky Tony Tasset Eye sculpture on Main Street, which is one of his favorite works of public art. The Myers sculpture "represents the creative, hardworking craftsmen that make up the Design District and are the heartbeat of the area," he says. Now, back to that Virgin. Sir Richard Branson: Is this a thumbs up on a Dallas hotel? The airline is already here, what could be next? THE AREA'S FIRST HOTEL WILL BE SITUATED NEXT DOOR TO THE GOSS-MICHAEL FOUNDATION, NEAR THE CORNER OF TURTLE CREEK AND HI LINE DRIVE, WITH A 2018 OPENING DATE. Dunhill Partners' Bill Hutchinson How your Texas connection, specifically with The Prairie, came about. I've been shopping the vintage fields and antique shows of Round Top for many years and usually stayed at the Outpost at Cedar Creek Inn. While it wasn't decorated in specifically my style, I loved the property, wide-open spaces and the buildings. Back in 2010, my personal and business life was going through some vulnerable and uncertain times, and I was staying at the Outpost on a vintage shopping trip. [The economic downturn in 2008-2009 forced her company into bankruptcy, from which it's now fully recovered.] I happened to be talking to the prior owner, Lenore PrudHomme, over breakfast, and on a whim, without much thought, I told her, "I think I should buy the Outpost." Even though I'm a London girl, I have always felt comfortable in cowboy boots and jeans and listening to sad country songs. I always had a dream of having a hotel, and the world of vintage for all our stores is a big part of our Shabby Chic Couture world, so having a hub for the buying and restoring made sense. I had no idea how to run a hotel, nor was it the perfect timing, but in a way, given the vulnerable time I was in, The Prairie by Rachel Ashwell became my Tara. How your look has evolved over 25 years. When Shabby was born, it was about whites and pastel blues, greens and pinks. As I've matured, I've moved into smokier versions of those colors, along with ivories and grays. When you have a brand like mine, it's like trying to reroute a big boat to get people to evolve with you. The Alden chair which I have in my house is much more modern: bleached wood, simple lines. Of course, I've made a big mushy back and seat cushion, which speaks to comfort and function. What's keeping you busy. We're opening a second store in Japan in August in Kyoto. We're also working on a value line of upholstered chairs under $500, which we'll sell online. It will launch this fall. Oh, and I'm personally acquiring a mobile home in Malibu — my first Shabby Shack. It's 500 square feet, and I'm just beginning to decorate it in an Ibiza style. F ew designers have become synonymous with a design movement the way Rachel Ashwell has with shabby chic. Reared in London, she launched the look with her first Shabby Chic store in Santa Monica in 1989, which embraced slouchy slipcovered sofas, timeworn vintage furniture, whites and pastels, and an abundance of romance. A TV show, Shabby Chic Couture retail shops and online shops with a myriad of products, linens, fabrics and furnishings, and Simply Shabby Chic for Target followed. Shabby chic the design movement and Shabby Chic the brand have endured for decades. Ashwell's ninth book, Rachel Ashwell The World of Shabby Chic: Beautiful Homes, My Story & Vision (Rizzoli, 2015, $45), is an intimate look at the past 25 years, with photos of her house in L.A. and other projects. Ashwell will be in Dallas, Thursday, June 25, noon, at Dallas Market Center Hall of Nations; followed by a book signing at Charles Ray Showroom, Suite 9002; then a Q&A at 3 pm at Market Hall. The same evening, Ashwell will sign books at Blue Print at 6 pm. For information on all events and to RSVP, email events@altonladaymedia.com. Rebecca Sherman forever HIC A wedding table set up in the barn of The Prairie Rachel Ashwell at The Prairie in Round Top Shabby Chic's Portobello chair-and-a-half Shabby Chic in situ