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.
The country superstar’s rings and earrings didn’t 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’t been paying attention. Cowtown has been quietly making noise in the fashion world for years — from Post Malone’s custom belt buckles made by Molly’s Custom Silver in Arlington to Vogue calling Fort Worth’s ranch-hand chic, well, chic. But this? This was different. This was prime-time.
“It happened very organically and very out of the blue,” says Jo Latham, the woman behind the boutique. Wilson’s stylist, Alexandra Mandelkorn — who works with a roster of Hollywood and Nashville heavyweights — 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’s debut of her new single, “Somewhere Over Laredo.” “They wanted color. Something with emotion, a nod to ‘Somewhere Over the Rainbow.’ We were the rainbow,” Latham says.
The pieces chosen? A pair of rainbow linear earrings by Melissa Spalten and a stack of star-shaped rings by designer Selim Mouzannar. “It was fantastic,” says Latham. “[Lainey] looked incredible, and we got some great close-up shots — she was holding that mic just right.”
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It wasn’t the first time one of Latham’s designers has been spotted on a celebrity, but it was the most high-profile moment yet since the shop’s relocation to its current space in April 2023. Latham shares the storefront with Joanna Bennett and Anne Walker Miller, the duo behind You Are Here, a concept boutique she describes as “the perfect neighbor.” The three came together after a decade of running independent businesses. Now, they’ve created something of a design hub on Camp Bowie, drawing in curious shoppers and stylists alike. “You never know who’s going to walk through the door,” Latham says. “We always operate with discretion — but it’s exciting. Fort Worth is becoming a real fashion town.”
The boutique currently carries over 60 independent designers — some local, many international — and caters to a clientele looking for statement pieces that carry meaning. “Fine jewelry is emotional,” Latham says. “It marks moments. And people want jewelry that tells their story.” 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 — a testament to quality and longevity.
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. “It’s not just about the beach,” she says. “It’s about memory. Travel. Joy.”
Menswear, too, is having a moment — and not in the “diamond-encrusted athlete” 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’s. “Men want to wear something meaningful too. And we’ve got more and more designers leaning into that,” Latham adds.
Western influences, of course, remain strong. “Being a cowboy is still cool,” Latham laughs. “And in Fort Worth, it’s not just a trend — it’s who we are.”
Jo Latham Fine Jewelry
4804 Camp Bowie Blvd., Fort Worth, TX
