Fashion for formal occasions at Zola Keller in Fort Lauderdale

You don't even have to walk inside Zola Keller to know what this boutique is all about because displayed in the shop windows are vibrant wedding and prom dresses. Yes, it is a bridal/prom/pageant/formal occasion boutique.

The boutique has two stories; the bottom floor features mainly prom and cocktail dresses while the top floor is the bridal floor featuring wedding wear and suits. The dresses are all colorful and covered in either rhinestones, feathers or both. Many dresses come in multiple colors and are adorned with crystals on one part of the dress (chest, waist, etc) and many are ruffled or textured. Therefore only buy here if you want to stand out at that bat mitzvah/wedding/prom you're attending because these dresses practically shout at you to notice them.

I have no problem with colorful, adorned dresses and if done right, they can be very stylish. But to be completely honest, some of Zola Keller's collection is a bit "too much", too much sparkle, color and print on one dress. The fashions have a bit of that wild "Betsey Johnson" party frock feel.With that being said, there are dresses that I did find to be fun and cute.

Zola Keller does do something very cool. They offer customized creations at no additional cost so that the customer can design and create their own dress and be measured for their size. Off-the-rack sizes range from 2-24.

The owner of Zola Keller, designer and retailer Zola, has been very active in dressing beauty pageant contestants for two decades, dressing everyone from Miss Latina Florida to Miss America. She is passionate about charity and fund raises for many, including cystic fibrosis and the American Cancer Society. In fact the store is holding a fashion show to raise money for cystic fibrosis March 15.

The boutique holds numerous events throughout the year, including trunk shows for specific designers so that customers can see their collections before they are displayed.


The boutique has been in business for 30 years. The price range is about $150 to $4000, as it is a specialty store featuring prom and wedding dresses, which are notorious for being expensive.

Zola Keller is located at 818 E. Las Olas Blvd., Fort Lauderdale, FL, 33301. To find out more, go to their web site.