Zola Keller has been in business since 1974, and its homepage claims Florida's largest selection of occasion wear. The list that follows covers bridal, mother-of, cocktail, custom gowns, pageant, prom and suits. Prom sits near the end of that line, and it is a smaller part of the floor than galas and weddings. It still comes with a seamstress room and a gown pedigree that goes back to the 1970s.
From beach bikinis in 1972 to a Las Olas storefront
City & Shore magazine told the story in August 2019. In 1972 Zola, a 25-year-old medical technician who had just moved from Chicago, was selling bikinis she had crocheted herself to sunbathers on Fort Lauderdale Beach. Ave Keller, who owned a wholesale fabric business, backed her with machines and fabric. She began sketching and cutting dresses, and a Saks Fifth Avenue buyer at the Galleria ordered them for five Saks stores.
In 1974 Ave gave her part of his store on Oakland Park, and she opened a shop selling her dresses and others. The two married that Christmas Day. In 1981 they moved the dress store to a two-story shop on Las Olas, with Zola as its face and Ave handling the business side. The magazine dates the big break to 1993, when Miss Florida won the Miss America pageant in one of Zola's dresses and pageant contestants started arriving from around the country. The store's About text puts the tally at three Miss Americas and hundreds of beauty contestants around the world.
1972
Sells crocheted bikinis on Fort Lauderdale Beach
1974
Opens a dress shop inside Ave Keller's store on Oakland Park
1981
Moves to a two-story shop on Las Olas
1993
Miss Florida wins Miss America in a Zola gown
That interview also captured the house rule. "There is never a no in my store," Zola told the magazine. The same piece described women who came back over the years for bat mitzvah, quinceañera, prom and wedding dresses, and it noted that, prom dresses aside, she did not compete much with online retailers.
Where prom fits on a floor built for galas
The designer evening gowns page held 1,269 styles on October 22, 2026, and the store is upfront that it shows full designer collections online and that not every gown is in the store. Jovani led with 568 styles. Janique, Tarik Ediz, Feriani Couture, Alexander by Daymor, MNM Couture and Terani followed, each with roughly 100 to 140. The page gives a price range of $449 to $1,475 for that designer collection.
For prom specifically, two groups stand out. The Prom & Party page showed ten Terani styles from its Spring 2025 prom line, listed from $312.50 to $562.50. Tarik Ediz had a 32-style Spring 2025 Prom group inside the evening collection, priced higher, from $877.80 to $1,977.80. Jovani's evening collections fill in the middle. Pick style numbers online, then call before your visit; the FAQ's answer to "how do I make sure a dress I love from the website is at the store" is simply to phone.
The FAQ puts gowns overall at $450 up to $6,500 and beyond. The top of that range belongs to custom work. The custom evening collection is listed from $3,200 to $6,800, made to the customer's measurements rather than by size, and its styles can be mixed, so the bodice of one gown can go with the sleeves of another.
Designer
From the evening collections
- Listed from $449 to $1,475
- Jovani, Terani, Tarik Ediz and more
- Not every style is in the store
Custom
Made to your measurements
- Mix a bodice and sleeves from different styles
- No alteration charge
- Listed from $3,200 to $6,800
Five seamstresses and an hourly rate
Alterations happen on site, and the FAQ gives real numbers. Five expert seamstresses work on staff, and they include pattern makers, a byproduct of all the from-scratch custom gowns. You are told the hours your alterations will take, and the bill is those hours at $35 each. Custom gowns carry no alteration charge. Gowns bought elsewhere are not altered here.
Fees
Alterations
$35 an hour
Alterations on custom gowns
No charge
Booking or canceling a visit
No charge
The store's Experience page lists the usual fixes as hemming the length, adjusting the bust, taking in the waist and adjusting the hips, and it recommends a few fittings for couture evening gowns. Bring that into your prom timeline. The FAQ also says the store offers rush orders. If a gown is not in stock, timing depends on the manufacturer's stock, and the FAQ adds that the store usually gets special treatment.
Booking a visit on East Las Olas
Appointments are optional. The FAQ suggests one, especially on weekends, and says a visit runs an hour or more, with a consultant who browses with you and helps with the gowns. Booking and canceling are free. On the request form, prom shoppers choose Evening Gown. The store is open 10 to 5:30 Monday through Saturday and noon to 5 on Sunday, and accessories can be browsed without an appointment.
The shop sits on East Las Olas Boulevard between downtown and the Intracoastal. Fort Lauderdale High and Stranahan High are both in the city, and Northeast High is just north in Oakland Park. For more prom shops around Broward County and South Florida, see our state guide.
Zola Keller prom questions, answered
Is every gown on the website in the store?
No. The site shows full designer collections, so call the store with a style number before you come in to try it on.
What do prom styles cost at Zola Keller?
In October 2026 the Terani prom styles online started a little above $300, while the Tarik Ediz prom group ran close to $2,000 at the top. Custom evening gowns start at $3,200.
Can I return a gown if I change my mind?
No. The FAQ says all gown sales are final, with no refunds, exchanges or returns on special order items.
Who founded Zola Keller?
Zola Keller, who opened her first dress shop in 1974 with backing from Ave Keller, the fabric wholesaler she later married.