For many Latina girls, a quinceañera is a time-honored tradition, marking the passage of an adolescent girl to a young woman on her 15th birthday.
At the centerpiece of every quinceañera is a princess-like gown.
Houston designer Tomas Benitez creates some of the most elaborate quinceañera gowns in the world, each one cut from a meticulously-drawn pattern.
No two dresses are the same, and each is designed specifically to fit a customer's vision.
While many of Benitez's designs sell for thousands of dollars, he's also known for giving away dresses to families who don't always have the means to buy one.
His Gulfton-area store gives away at least three quinceañera gowns every year.
"Before my customers come...