CORPUS CHRISTI, Tx — On Corpus Christi's Northside, Monica Leal sits at her sewing machine with needle in hand and fabric stacked high around her. At 82 years old, she has no plans of slowing down.
"I'm still here at 82, because I love it," Leal said.
Monica and her daughter Lucille Salinas run Lumonis, a small dress shop on Leopard Street with a big purpose. The mother-daughter duo spends the entire year creating elaborate gowns for the coronation of Las Doñas de la Corte during the Buc Days celebration.
After designing dresses for 50 years, Monica has created countless beautiful pieces, making it impossible to choose a favorite.
"Do you happen to have a favorite gown? Oh honey, don't ask me that. They're all beautiful," Leal said.
Lucille's passion for dressmaking began in childhood, growing up surrounded by her mother's craft.
"Watched them sew and I learned how to sew from her seamstresses," Salinas said.
For Lucille, the most rewarding moment comes when mothers see their daughters in their gowns for the first time.
"And I can actually make the mothers cry of joy," Salinas said.
For more than 40 years, Monica and Lucille have created gowns that carry more than beauty – they carry legacy.
Amanda Shae understands this legacy firsthand. Her great-grandmother was one of the founders of the coronation tradition. Shae served as Queen of the Court Olympus in 1996, wearing a gown handmade by Lucille and Monica.
"My great grandmother was one of the founders," Shae said.
Now, 30 years later, the mother-daughter team is designing this year's queen's gown and her mother's dress too.
"So that's really neat and special," Shae said.
Monica says working around the clock all year is hard work, but seeing the women's reactions makes it worthwhile.
"It becomes all real. You can't believe it. Because you work so hard throughout the months," Leal said.
At the heart of this coronation tradition are mothers and daughters, keeping cultural heritage alive one stitch at a time.
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