GROWING UP

Designer and mom Rachel Pally not only has two growing boys at home, but a growing business that has embarked on a whole new world of making the clothes she wants to wear, not just what the stores are asking her for.

MINI | Thank you for inviting us into your home! Tell us about the place! How would you describe your home— the design, the feel?

RACHEL PALLY | Our home is midcentury but our décor is very eclectic. We have a lot of art (much of it made by family members!) and tons of textiles that we have picked up on our travels. I also collect what my husband calls “ugly pottery,” although he’s now on board!

MINI | Do you have a favorite room in your home or place where you spend the most time?

RACHEL PALLY | Our kitchen is open so we spend quite a lot of time there. We can watch the kids play and make dinner at the same time. We also have stools around the island so friends can gather around and sip wine and snack while we cook!

MINI | How do you feel about kids toys or gear taking over the house?

RACHEL PALLY | We definitely try to keep the toys contained to the play area in the living room and also the boys’ bedrooms. We resisted all plastic, noisy toys for a long time, but now our living room is covered in Hot Wheels tracks and we’re OK with it. It makes the boys happy and keeps them busy! We all have to live and play there so we try to get the kids to clean up their toys at the end of the day, but we really aren’t very uptight about it.

MINI | What do you love most about raising your kids in LA? Would you ever want to live anywhere else?

RACHEL PALLY | I can’t imagine living anywhere else! My husband and I are both from LA (so are our parents!) and both sets of our parents live here. They are such an important part of our lives and our childrens’ lives— we aren’t moving away from family! That said, last summer we were in Portland and I got all dreamy about it. I also fantasize about living in Kauai, but it won’t happen unless the whole gang joins us!

MINI | Tell us how you decided on your kids names.

RACHEL PALLY | We had such a hard time with boys names! We loved that both Tao and Luca are strong but soft names— just like how we hope to raise our boys!

MINI | We know schedules can be hectic— so tell us about yours! What does a typical day look like right now?

RACHEL PALLY | I’m burning it at both ends! I would like to wake up before my boys get up to get in a little meditation or 20 minutes on the Peloton but the little one keeps waking up earlier and earlier! It’s pretty much a guarantee that the second my tush hits the meditation pillow, I hear the pitter patter of footsteps running to my room. So then I set the alarm earlier and the pitter patter inevitably starts earlier; it’s rough. The boys are up by 6-6:30 and then it’s a mad dash to get them fed, pack the lunches, and get them dressed. My husband usually takes our older son to school and our nanny gets there at 8. If I can I hop on the bike for 20 minutes (we just got it—this is a new addition to my routine and it’s been GREAT), jump in the shower, answer some emails, then head downtown. I work with my team and wander from office to office while answering emails on my phone, mostly. That way, I can interact with everyone and don’t end up in my office on my computer unless I have to. I have meetings with my showroom and networking lunches and calls with PR and fabric meetings and photoshoots and production meetings and HR meetings. Every day is different. Once I get home and we quickly make dinner, play with the kids, get them in the bath, and then tag team bedtime. I’m so grateful that my husband is as hands-on as he is. After the boys are settled, we clean up from dinner and finish some emails. Then we crash! Sometimes we fit in a few minutes of TV before we fall asleep. I know this time with the boys is especially intense so we do our best to enjoy it all.. But woah.

MINI | We are such big fans of your clothing! How has your collection evolved since its beginning?

RACHEL PALLY | I built my business on jersey fabric, which was amazing. I used one fabrication and was able to grow for many years. But then I felt stifled! I wanted to do more, to branch out, to make clothes that I wanted to wear. But the journey to where I am now has been hard. I was known for just one thing so it is sometimes hard to get new eyes on my product. People think they know what they can expect, so they aren’t as open to looking at it again. I’ve been offering linen, twill, chiffon, and other fabrications for years, but they are only now finally starting to be a really large part of my business. I have never loved my collection more than I do right now. I’m taking chances and making the clothes that I want to wear, not the clothes that stores are asking me to make. And it’s 100% more authentic and more beautiful! I’m so proud of where the brand is right now!

MINI | Where do you see the line going in the future? Any changes ahead?

RACHEL PALLY | I love love love change! It’s scary but it’s also so exhilarating! And creatively, change helps me to do my best work. I’m going to continue to build and grow, to try new fabrications and new styles. My goal is to grow my direct to consumer business. That’s the best part— when I can sell directly to the customer I get to set the narrative, do the styling, the photos, and really keep the brand in alignment with my vision.

FAST FACTS

SIGNATURE SCENT

Uplift oil from Roseview LA. It smells incredible.

IF THERE WERE MORE HOURS IN THE DAY, I WOULD

Take better care of myself. Nap, exercise, meditate, read.

TYPICAL COFFEE ORDER

Cafe au lait.

ADVICE TO MY NEW MOM SELF

RELAX. There is no such thing as a perfect parent. Do your best. Give yourself as much love as you give your baby. And put the icy nipple pads in the freezer.

FAVORITE KIDS MOVIE

Coco. The great-grandmother reminds me of my grandmother and it makes me so happy and weepy.

FAVORITE LOCAL SHOP

Midland, hands down.

ALWAYS IN MY FRIDGE

Homemade almond milk, feta cheese, a variety of hot sauces, beer.

FAVORITE KIDS BOOK

Rosie Revere, Engineer. I love the messaging about girls being able to be whoever they want to be and how important it is to pick oneself up and try again after failure.

CAN’T STOP LISTENING TO

Podcasts! Paul Simon! My teacher Jan Birchfield’s book Silent Leaders.

MINI | What would you say is the greatest challenge of being a working mom?

RACHEL PALLY | Trying to be 100% present at work when I’m at work and 100% present at home when I’m home. Switching the gears is so important.

MINI | If you ever deal with mom guilt, how do you handle it?

RACHEL PALLY | Of course I do! I think it’s the plight of all moms. I read on the internet recently that we are expected to mom like we don’t work and work like we don’t mom. But that’s actually impossible and a ridiculous and unhealthy standard to set. I just try to do my best and that simply has to be good enough.

MINI | What helps you to juggle motherhood and career?

RACHEL PALLY | My husband, my parents, my mother-in-law, my nanny. Without the extra hands and the extra love for my kids while I’m at work, things would be even more insane!

MINI | What is most important to you in raising your children?

RACHEL PALLY | That they grow up to be good people, they are kind and caring, and that they treat people fairly. That they push themselves and take chances, that they explore the world and never stop learning.

MINI | What is your greatest parenting fear or worry?

RACHEL PALLY | That anything would happen to my children. I’m sure that’s the top answer. Having children is like having your heart beating outside of your body every minute. It is the most vulnerable and scary feeling in the world. Even typing that raised my blood pressure.

MINI | What do you think is the one thing no one really warns you about?

RACHEL PALLY | That you will never be able to watch the news or sad movies or listen to the radio without internalizing every story. Your heart celebrates with every mother but it also mourns with every mother.

MINI | How would you describe your personal style? Has your style changed at all since becoming a mom?

RACHEL PALLY | I love easy, versatile, comfortable, wearable clothes and shoes. I love a great fitting pair of vintage Levi’s. I love Martiniano flats, Bryr clogs, linen dresses, and jumpsuits. The stilettos and red lipstick of my past are so far in my past I can’t remember them anymore! I think there is nothing attractive about looking and feeling uncomfortable, but I also try not to dress like a Berkeley Women’s Studies professor every day. Only some days! Other than Levi’s and accessories, I am almost always wearing RP head to toe! I want to LIVE in my clothes, so that means being at work, going to dinner with my husband, playing with my kids, traveling. Yes, my style has evolved since becoming a mom, but my style in general has evolved, so I’m just riding the wave!

MINI | If you could give your children one piece of advice, what would it be?

RACHEL PALLY | TO ALWAYS DO WHAT I SAY! But really, I hope to give my boys roots and wings. That’s what my parents always said. You want them to feel safe and secure in your love and always know they have a home to come back to (roots), but also free to be themselves and dare to take risks (wings).

MINI | How many kids did you see yourself with growing up? Are there more kids in your future?

RACHEL PALLY | I always knew I wanted two. I come from two, same as my husband. The shop is closed.