Los Angeles Fashion Week Spring '05: Rachel Pally

Summery, flirty and clean describes Rachel Pally’s Spring ’05 collection of Modal/Lycra tops, shorts, cropped pants, dresses and swimwear. Pally, who showed her collection on Oct. 27 at Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week at Smashbox Studios in Culver City, said her clothes had a very wearable summer-vacation feeling.

The relaxed look and easy shape of the collection’s body styles provided versatility in fit.

“I definitely design for women—I don’t really design for fashion,” Pally said. “I keep lots of different body types and age groups in mind when I’m creating my collection.”

The collection featured deep-V halter dresses, strapless jumpsuits and bubble dresses, tank dresses with tiered skirts, wrap dresses, baby-doll tops paired with cropped pants, and three-quarter-sleeve tops worn with shorts. Yellow, persimmon, avocado, teal, magenta, mint and papaya shades were mixed with ivory, sand, ash and black. Wide sashes and gold jewelry accented the look, and graphic bird prints added to the lighthearted feeling of the line.

Pally debuted jersey swimwear that can be worn in the water but that was made for poolside lounging.

“You can wear a hat and sunglasses and lay by the pool with jewelry on,” she said. “I’m not into nonfunctional bathing suits, but it’s definitely not something you would swim every day in. It’s more to be cute.” —N.J.S.