By the time Lainey Wilson stepped onto the American Music Awards stage in a bedazzled white suit, microphone in hand, the jewelry she wore had already done its job: catching the spotlight, turning heads, and subtly reminding the world that Fort Worth knows a thing or two about sparkle.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The country superstar\u2019s rings and earrings didn\u2019t come from a Beverly Hills showroom or a New York atelier. They came from Jo Latham Fine Jewelry, nestled right on Camp Bowie Boulevard in Fort Worth. If that seems surprising, you haven\u2019t been paying attention. Cowtown has been quietly making noise in the fashion world for years \u2014 from Post Malone\u2019s custom belt buckles made by Molly\u2019s Custom Silver in Arlington to\u00a0Vogue\u00a0calling Fort Worth\u2019s ranch-hand chic, well, chic. But this? This was different. This was prime-time.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cIt happened very organically and very out of the blue,\u201d says Jo Latham, the woman behind the boutique. Wilson\u2019s stylist, Alexandra Mandelkorn \u2014 who works with a roster of Hollywood and Nashville heavyweights \u2014 reached out while dressing Wilson for her AMAs performance. She was looking for statement pieces to elevate the second look of the night: the performance outfit for Wilson\u2019s debut of her new single,\u00a0\u201cSomewhere Over Laredo.\u201d \u201cThey wanted color. Something with emotion, a nod to\u00a0\u2018Somewhere Over the Rainbow.\u2019 We were the rainbow,\u201d Latham says.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The pieces chosen? A pair of rainbow linear earrings by Melissa Spalten and a stack of star-shaped rings by designer Selim Mouzannar. \u201cIt was fantastic,\u201d says Latham. \u201c[Lainey] looked incredible, and we got some great close-up shots \u2014 she was holding that mic just right.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
It wasn\u2019t the first time one of Latham\u2019s designers has been spotted on a celebrity, but it was the most high-profile moment yet since the shop\u2019s relocation to its current space in April 2023. Latham shares the storefront with Joanna Bennett and Anne Walker Miller, the duo behind\u00a0You Are Here, a concept boutique she describes as \u201cthe perfect neighbor.\u201d The three came together after a decade of running independent businesses. Now, they\u2019ve created something of a design hub on Camp Bowie, drawing in curious shoppers and stylists alike. \u201cYou never know who\u2019s going to walk through the door,\u201d Latham says. \u201cWe always operate with discretion \u2014 but it\u2019s exciting. Fort Worth is becoming a real fashion town.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
The boutique currently carries over 60 independent designers \u2014 some local, many international \u2014 and caters to a clientele looking for statement pieces that carry meaning. \u201cFine jewelry is emotional,\u201d Latham says. \u201cIt marks moments. And people want jewelry that tells their story.\u201d That story might involve sea creatures (yes, blowfish and octopuses are in), hand-engraved keepsakes, or vintage bolos from designers like the legendary Bohlin (created by Ed Bohlin), who once crafted custom pieces for Gene Autry and the Lone Ranger. And with gold prices high, many customers are leaning into heavier, more valuable pieces \u2014 a testament to quality and longevity.\u00a0<\/p>\n
One of the newest lines Latham brought in is by designer Sara Beltran who hand-sources seashells and dips them in onyx and gold, transforming found beach treasures into couture-worthy talismans. \u201cIt\u2019s not just about the beach,\u201d she says. \u201cIt\u2019s about memory. Travel. Joy.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Menswear, too, is having a moment \u2014 and not in the \u201cdiamond-encrusted athlete\u201d way you might expect. Think understated gold bands, braided leather bracelets, and custom pinky rings that pair just as well with a suit as they do with a pair of boots at Billy Bob\u2019s. \u201cMen want to wear something meaningful too. And we\u2019ve got more and more designers leaning into that,\u201d Latham adds.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Western influences, of course, remain strong. \u201cBeing a cowboy is still cool,\u201d Latham laughs. \u201cAnd in Fort Worth, it\u2019s not just a trend \u2014 it\u2019s who we are.\u201d \u00a0<\/p>\n
Jo Latham Fine Jewelry\u00a0<\/p>\n
4804 Camp Bowie Blvd., Fort Worth, TX\u00a0<\/p>\n