At first glance, Preston Wilson Jr. looks like a fashion designer, Atlanta influencer or creative director of an agency. In other words, he looks like he does something fabulous for a living. (Spoiler alert: He does.) Chalk that up to his fierce sense of style and an aura of a refined Southern gentleman. But ask him about his career and you may be surprised to discover this dapper Atlanta man is not a right-brained creative. He’s an engineer and scientist.
“I spent most of my career in the engineering space in the medical device field,” he says, “from development, management, research, and invention.” Growing up in the South, he originally thought he’d be a doctor or a lawyer “like everyone else around me,” says Wilson Jr. “But science and technology became my passion.”
Firstly, I think being in a unique STEM field makes him even a more sought after Atlanta influencer. This past fall, you may have seen Wilson Jr. hosting the Corps de Ballet luncheon along with other Atlanta influencers and socialites, or at the fashion-slash-art exhibit Art Meso. He’s also been spotted at the Veuve Clicquot polo fields in L.A. for several years and just dipped down to Miami for Art Basel.
And while being invited to the best events around the country is incredible, his heart is truly in his career. “[I love being] in the medical space because it allows me to participate in the betterment of life saving procedures and help medical science grow and evolve.”
Not a bad purpose in life for the handsome, stylish young man. We sat down with Wilson Jr. to find out how deep do his Southern roots go, why he wanted to be an astronaut and what Texas style icon inspired his personal fashion sensibility.
Where did you grow up?
I grew up in Houston, Texas. It was very metropolitan and Southern with a little bit of a West coast vibe. Everyone one rode horses, ate BBQ, wore boots and the rodeo was one of the biggest events of the year.
Where do you live now?
I live in Atlanta. It’s very different from Houston because it’s the Hollywood of the South. It has more of a small town feel but with lots of Southern glamour.
Did you live anywhere else in between?
I have had the opportunity to live for a short time on both the East and West coast, which gave me more of a broad perspective of the U.S. In other words, a lot of who I am comes from the vastly different environments I have lived in throughout my life.
For instance, I can now enjoy the hustle and bustle of New York, a Hollywood premiere in L.A., lake swimming in Houston, sitting on a porch in Mississippi, or a relaxed backyard BBQ in Atlanta. I am a little bit of all these places.
That’s so Two-Sided Southern, Preston. I love it. Did anything about growing up in the South inform you going into science and engineering?
Living in Houston, the home of NASA, made science cool. Houston also has the largest medical center in the United States, making the medical field a huge part of the landscape of the city. I wanted to be an astronaut when I was a kid.
Ok, so let’s go back to your childhood… What is something your mom or dad would do that you have great memories around in Houston?
Above all, my mother loved garden parties. My entire childhood, I watched my mother with every detail from the perfect napkin fold to the perfect centerpiece for her garden parties. Dad and I would get dressed in seersucker suits and my mom and sisters would dress in sundresses. Similarly, I would wear my favorite two-toned shoes. It was always fun.
Was there any place in your hometown that you miss?
The legendary This Is It Soul Food restaurant. The best soul food in Houston. It is still around, but I haven’t been in a while.
Ok, so what makes your life Two-Sided Southern now in Atlanta?
I am Two-Sided Southern because whether I’m at a black-tie gala sitting at a well-decorated, glamorous table with a glass of Champagne or in my uncle’s backyard sitting in a lawn chair with a glass of fresh squeezed lemonade, I feel at home. In other words, they are both who I am. After all, I think there are many different dimensions of Southern lifestyles to enjoy and I indulge in many.
Favorite down-home Southern dish: Southern fried chicken
Best high-end, hoity-toity dessert: Pecan custard
Favorite low-brow dessert: Publix birthday cakes. Even if there is no birthday.
Top high-brow restaurant in Atlanta: Atlas restaurant
Spot you go to for low-brow cuisine: Fellini’s pizza
Favorite high-end fashion store: Neiman Marcus
Favorite low-brow fashion store: Target sweaters, sweatshirts, and tees fit amazing!
Southern dish you always serve at Thanksgiving or Christmas? Collard greens
What are some Southern cliches that you totally subscribe to? I drink a lot of sweet tea.
Favorite sports teams: Football (Panthers) and baseball (The Braves)
Favorite drink at a tailgate: Gatorade
Are you a theater or concert person? I love theater. I love Broadway and the Alliance Theatre.
Are there any Southern fashion designers or interior designers you admire, conspire with, adore? You’re so fashionable!
I love the interior design work of Michel Smith Boyd and Michael Habachy. When I think of Southern style in interior design I always think of Danielle Rollins. She is the ultimate Southern style expert in fashion and lifestyle. Moreover, my favorite Southern fashion designers are Jada Loveless, Draper James, Billy Reid, Wes Gordon, and my favorite is Tom Ford. However, Tom Ford is not technically a Southern brand, but Tom Ford grew up in Texas and brings a lot of Texas elements to his designs. He is my favorite designer and a style icon.
Most eccentric southern person you know?
Dr. Rubert, a professor at Jackson State University in Jackson, Mississippi. He is a true Southern gentleman with a great gypsy style of dress, but the thickest Southern accent I have ever heard. Moreover, he used the most unique Southern sayings of anyone I know. It was always funny to try to decode his sentences and understand exactly what he was trying to say to us. Once you did, it was always profound and interesting. He had a story appropriate for every occasion and didn’t mind sharing it. Dr. Rubert also collected and kept a detailed archive of newspapers from major events over many years. He was like a walking encyclopedia.
What are some misconceptions you’ve encountered about people from the south?
That Southern people are not worldly and not progressive in their thinking.
