Cristina Faulconer has earned a few nicknames during her time in the Western fashion scene, including “Silver Queen” and “Cowgirl Barbie.” Merging high-style elements with colorful boots, bold hats, silver buckles and vintage finds, the 32-year-old is redefining Western fashion, whether she’s out on the town, at the barn with her Paint Horses, or in her newly reopened brick-and-mortar Western boutique, Proper Supply Co., in Weatherford, Texas.
Living in Color
Just like her store, Faulconer’s modest mid-century home in Fort Worth, Texas, reflects her love for modern design, classic Western movies and memorabilia. In her living room, sleek, pastel pink furniture and accents are contemporary complements to a neutral-toned Navajo rug, Roy Rogers memorabilia, and large, vibrant paintings of Annie Oakley, Buffalo Bill and Wild Bill Hickok. In the corner, a black Edward Bohlin parade saddle adorned with silver and a matching bridle and breast collar are prominently displayed.
“I always loved Barbie, but my heroes have always been cowboys and cowgirls like Roy Rogers, Dale Evans, Gene Autry and Annie Oakley,” she says. “One Christmas, I asked Santa for an Annie Oakley doll. He laughed and said, ‘Nobody has asked for one of those in a very long time.’”
Down the hall is a room with shelves and clothing racks filled with boots, handbags, belts, shoes, hats and vintage rhinestone-studded and embroidered Western blouses by designers like Manuel Cuevas. This “closet” holds only a small part of her wardrobe.
“I stopped counting a couple of years ago at around 100 pairs,” she says about her boot collection, many of which she’s designed. “I see fashion as an investment in yourself and a form of self-expression. I used to buy as much as I could. Now, I consider whether it will be a lifetime piece.”
Raised in Newport Beach, Calif., among sand and surfboards, Faulconer didn’t fit in with the coastal culture. From a young age, she showed interest in the Old West, silver screen cowboys, and horses. Her parents supported her passions by taking her to the Autry Museum of the American West, riding lessons, and horse shows. For vacations, the family traveled to guest ranches throughout the West.
“They were some of the most memorable times,” she fondly recalls. “My dad would dress us up in nice Western clothes, and I never grew out of it.”
After finishing high school, Faulconer attended the Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising in Los Angeles. In 2013, she learned that a new Western store had opened in Newport Beach. The store, Burns Cowboy Shop, is a family-owned Western store that has been operated by six generations since 1876. It already had three established locations in Salina, Utah; Park City, Utah; and Carmel, Calif.. During her visit, Faulconer met owner Danna Burns-Shaw.
The two women quickly connected, and Faulconer unexpectedly found her dream job while completing her bachelor’s degree. The Newport store closed after a few years, but by then, Faulconer had graduated and moved to Carmel Valley, Calif.. She traveled between Carmel and Park City, working closely with Burns-Shaw to manage retail operations.
“When I started, I had no retail experience, so Danna took a leap of faith and took me under her wing,” admits Faulconer. “I learned so much about sales and branding from her, but I was also able to flex my skills in designing and merchandising. It was a great experience.”
Building a Brand
As Faulconer’s time with Burns was coming to an end, she reached out to other brands. In early 2019, the Fort Worth Stockyards began a major revitalization project, including the addition of retail spaces in the old horse and mule barns.
In another twist of fate, one of the project managers called Faulconer and expressed interest in hiring her to open a Western retail store. Seizing the chance to develop a store from the ground up, Faulconer didn’t hesitate to move to the Lone Star State.
“Being the new kid on the block, a woman from California in her 20s, I felt like I had a lot to prove,” she says. “Plus, there were already amazing, longstanding Western stores in the Stockyards like M.L. Leddy’s and Maverick.”
She came up with the idea of creating a store featuring all American-made items, many of which she would design and commission from her network of makers, including The Bohlin Company, a heritage brand founded by Edward H. Bohlin in 1920.
In the fall of 2020, the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association announced that the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo would take place in Arlington, Texas, because of the COVID-19 pandemic. With only a few months to prepare, Faulconer decided to coincide Proper Supply Co.’s grand opening with the NFR, gathering all the products she could to take advantage of the surge of rodeo fans coming to town.
In 2024, she bought the company from its investors and decided to close the storefront to focus on pop-up booths, trunk shows, and social media sales. This move allowed her to have more direct interaction with customers and greater flexibility.
Then, in July of 2025, she opened a new showroom and retail space on “the Square” in downtown Weatherford, Texas. With its dark, moody atmosphere and warm wooden display cases, it’s the perfect spot for customers to relax and shop for heirloom-quality pieces made by small local or regional artisans.
“Our products are meaningful purchases, not impulse buys,” she explains. “I only sell items I believe in and would wear myself.”
Besides the satisfaction of helping her customers find a classy, comfortable pair of boots, creasing a hat by hand or pairing a belt with a stylish silver buckle, she also enjoys educating them about quality craftsmanship and the manufacturing process.
“People don’t always realize how much work goes into building a buckle, hat, or pair of boots from start to finish,” she says. “Education is part of the experience. The main thing for me is satisfying my customers and keeping historic brands relevant so they stay alive for years to come.”
For more information, follow Proper Supply Co. on Facebook and Instagram.
This article about Cristina Faulconer appeared in the Winter 2025 issue of Western Life Today magazine. Click here to subscribe!
