Jersey girl Rachel Pally taps the ‘60s for her Holiday 2007 line

Rachel Pally, the designer who’s managed to drape cotton jersey into something more than just T-shirts and halter dresses, certainly had the ‘60s in mind when designing her Holiday 2007 collection. Down to the location, the Sheats-Goldstein house designed by John Lautner, and the soundtrack of Motown and classic rock, Pally swung the era into full force Saturday night.

As the sun set beyond Beverly Hills, models walked out in the 53-piece collection for a crowd including Michelle Trachtenberg, Taryn Manning and Marla Sokoloff. Tented jersey mini dresses in pollen yellow, crimson and black were piped with satin or trimmed in linked gold chain — details that were new to Pally’s usually unembellished line. There were also more body-conscious pieces, such as a high-waisted tulip skirt and a black backless jumpsuit. Pally sprinkled a few cashmere pieces into the mix, too, part of a cashmere line she is set to release this fall. Models were styled part Audrey Hepburn, part Talitha Getty, with large bronze disc earrings, stacked bangles, Lucite heels and modern beehives

The designer fluttered around the house like a true hostess, donning a paprika Grecian-style gown from her holiday line. “I thought mostly about what women would want to wear and all the different body types,” said Pally, a former dancer. She is launching a plus-size line in the fall too.