Dixon and Jack

If you’ve recently attended a Nashville concert or tuned into a country award show, there’s a good chance Betsy and Caroline Hunt created your favorite artist’s onstage look. The local mother-daughter design duo — Dixon and Jack — crafts western-inspired performance wear featuring colorful, intricate chain stitching — a form of embroidery that loops stitches to form a chain-like pattern.

By paying homage to greats like Manuel Cuevas and Nudie Cohn, Besty and Caroline create modern pieces with classic, old-timey inspiration. “It starts with an idea,” says Caroline. “And the design process is really fun and fluid.”

Caroline and Betsy’s designs have been showcased by a star-studded client list including Kacey Musgraves, Noah Kahan, The War and Treaty and Jelly Roll. The duo aims to amplify their client’s distinct stories and personalities, being particularly drawn to artists who promote philanthropic causes. “It’s always great to know that they’re great people on the other side of just being a great artist,” says Caroline. 

From planning to executing designs, the brand enhances pivotal milestones, from weddings and birthdays to key parts of an artist’s career. “It’s always an honor when people come to us for their Opry debuts,” says Caroline. “Being a small part of history is so moving to us, and the fact that people come to us for such a special time gets me choked up.”

Caroline developed her interest in fashion at New York’s Parsons School of Design. After graduating in 2019, she based her business concept on her college thesis — a re-contextualization of Southern culture through chain stitch embroidery. While Caroline worked for stylists after graduation, Betsy dove into chain stitching.

To this day, Dixon and Jack’s meticulous designs are crafted with century-old industrial chain stitch machines. “It’s crazy, because the 100-year-old machines just run better than anything available today,” says Caroline. Within the first few years of business, the top floor of Betsy’s Belle Meade home evolved into Dixon and Jack’s creative studio. Inside, the walls are lined with hundreds of vibrant threads that help clients find the perfect hue. 

Utilizing traditional machines lets the duo experiment with a wider range of colors while making the application process smoother and more effective. “It’s like painting with thread,” says Betsy. “[It’s] not computerized, so you’re painting on the fabric with thread as you steer the machine.”

With its enticing, intriguing brand name — inspired by Southern culture — Dixon and Jack can appeal to anyone. “[The name is] mysterious,” says Caroline. “It helps people feel like it could be anybody behind the scenes.” 

As the business grows, Caroline and Betsy are developing a roster of wedding clients, plan to expand into rodeo-wear and will continue weaving intricate stories into every piece. “With social media, people can tell by our hands that we are a mother-daughter duo,” says Caroline. “And we pride ourselves [in] that. But it is sweet because it’s not about our [faces]. It’s about how our clients feel and their experience. The clothes tell a story.”

For more information, visit www.dixonandjack.com, and check out @dixonandjack.