A North Mesa prom stop since at least 2005
Ella Blu is at 5410 N. Mesa, on the West Side stretch of Mesa that runs along the foot of the Franklin Mountains. Borderzine, the UTEP student news outlet, wrote in 2016 that the shop had been providing contemporary and designer gowns for evening and bridal occasions, along with beauty pageants, in El Paso since 2005. Same address then. Same address now.
In its 2024 roundup of local prom shops, the El Paso Times called Ella Blu "a locally owned store" that "has been a popular stop for prom dress shopping for many years." The store's prom page goes further and claims the title of the premier formal dress boutique in El Paso. Owner Sophia Adamson runs the shop, and the team page lists Ivonne as its Evening Gown Specialist. Ask for her when you phone about prom.
Sherri Hill, Jovani and four more labels on Mesa
The prom collection on the store's bridal and prom website filters by six designers: Sherri Hill, Jovani, La Femme, Alyce Paris, Ava Presley and Portia & Scarlett. The page pitches gowns in "a variety of styles, colors, silhouettes and lengths from top names in formalwear fashion." The catalog runs to thousands of gowns.
The racks don't hold all of them. A note on the prom page warns that not all dresses are available in store. So treat the site as a wish list. Jot down two or three style numbers, then call the shop to ask which ones are hanging in the shop right now. The prom pages show style numbers but no prices, so cost is a question for the staff too.
In the shop
Try it on at 5410 N. Mesa
- Gowns on the rack today
- Fittings by the store's seamstresses
On the website
The prom catalog
- Six designers, listed by style number
- No prices shown
- Not all dresses are available in store
Ella Blu runs two websites. The everyday boutique site carries daywear, kids' clothes and gifts, with no prom gowns at all. The formal side, labeled "Bridal & Prom" in the boutique's menu, is where the prom catalog lives. Homecoming gets attention there too: a 2022 post on fall homecoming trends was built around Sherri Hill styles.
The school dress registry and Belle of the Ball
The best-documented prom detail is the registry. In 2017 KFOX14 stopped by for a prom segment, and staff member Taylor Brown walked the station through how the store kept two girls from the same school out of the same gown.
So, we'll take down your name, the dress that you got, and we'll register it on a sheet of paper, and then when you come in, you'll tell us, 'Oh, I go to Coronado,' or Franklin, or any of the other schools, even Las Cruces, and then we'll make sure you aren't going to show up in the same dress as anyone else.
That was 2017. The current site doesn't mention the registry, so ask at the register whether it still runs. If it does, give them your school.
In 2024 the shop took on a bigger job. Ella Blu teamed with Laura's Productions and Bridal Novias on Belle of the Ball, a free prom dress giveaway for high school students. Donors could drop gowns at the Mesa store, and KVIA reported that "dresses of every color, size and style are stacked and hung in dressing rooms at Ella Blu." The giveaway itself was held at the store on Sunday, March 24. On its own site, the shop keeps an "Our Babes" gallery where customers share their prom photos.
2016
Borderzine names the North Mesa shop for evening, bridal and pageant gowns
2017
Staff explain the school dress registry on KFOX14
2024
Hosts the Belle of the Ball prom dress giveaway; El Paso Times lists it among local prom shops
Fittings, Spanish help and early weekend closing
Alterations happen at the store, by appointment, with a team of experienced seamstresses. The shop's 2022 prom trends post made the case for fittings in its own cheerful way. If you love a dress with slits but worry about it being too revealing, it told readers, "we can always do fittings to get the dress to fit perfectly for your needs!"
Ella Blu is a bilingual-friendly boutique. If a parent or anyone else in your group would rather talk through fit and fabric in Spanish, mention it when you book, and the store will line up a Spanish-speaking consultant.
Watch the clock on weekends. The shop is open Monday through Thursday from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., but Friday and Saturday hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and it is closed Sunday. Plan a Saturday visit for the morning. The formal side also has a bridal salon.
Alterations
At the store, by appointment, with experienced seamstresses
Homecoming
A 2022 trends post built on Sherri Hill styles
Coronado and Franklin, the two schools Brown named first, are both on this side of town, and the registry quote reached as far as Las Cruces. For more prom shops, see our guide to prom stores across Texas.
Ella Blu prom questions from El Paso shoppers
Can I see Ella Blu prom prices online?
No. The online prom catalog lists designer names and style numbers only. Phone the store with a style number and ask the staff.
Will the gown I found on the website be at the store?
Not always. The catalog shows what the six designers make, and the store's own prom page warns that its racks don't hold every one, so confirm your style numbers before you go.
Does Ella Blu still keep a prom dress registry by school?
Staff described one to KFOX14 in 2017, logging each buyer's school so classmates wouldn't match. The current site is silent on it, so ask when you pay.