That just might be the most remarkable thing about this young woman: she is just Lauren. Lacking pretentions, grounded, and comfortable in her own skin, Lauren Conrad is simply herself.
And if you pause to consider the fact that this 24 year old young woman has been the star of two of MTV's most successful reality television programs, designs her own fashion line, and is a two-time New York Times bestselling author—and that’s only the top of the list of her accomplishments—the fact she is simply herself becomes extraordinary.
Growing up in the beautiful coastal town of Laguna Beach, California, the sun has always shined on Lauren Conrad. Since the beginning she has been rooted in a strong bond with her family, parents Jim and Kathy, and younger siblings Breanna and Brandon. Their love and support allowed her sweet, easy-going personality to flourish and helped her become secure in herself—traits that would prove especially valuable to her in particular. Lauren has always had a zest for life, and enjoys being active and outdoors. She spent her free time growing up lying out on the sand, playing in the ocean, and hiking through the rolling hills of California.
Going into her senior year of high school at 17, she was looking forward to having fun with her friends and serving as a member of the ASB when MTV came to recruit students for a project they wanted to film…
And that’s when everything changed.
When the producers of MTV’s hit reality TV show Laguna Beach
showed up at Laguna Beach High School to recruit cast members, Lauren’s friend Lo Bosworth convinced her to submit an application. She thought she was signing up to be a part of a documentary about a group of friends enjoying their last year of high school. Of course, it turned into something bigger than she could have imagined.
The series, billed as television’s first “reality drama”, erupted into a cultural phenomenon. It drew massive audiences, with ratings that put it in the top of its time slot amongst both network and cable shows. And from the start, Lauren, dubbed “LC”, was a stand-out cast member who quickly became a fan favorite. More than just beautiful, Lauren was shown to be sweet, likable, and very relatable. She became the nation’s favorite girl-next-door. At the end of her two-season run, many fans simply were not ready to let LC disappear from their lives.
So when the time came for the cast of Laguna Beach to move on to their next ventures, MTV approached her about creating a new spin-off series, The Hills. The Hills followed Lauren’s move to Los Angeles, and her internship at Teen Vogue magazine.
In the flash-and-burn world of reality television, most “stars” burst onto the scene and into the public eye for their 15 minutes of fame and then fade quickly back into oblivion. But during her time on The Hills, Lauren showed that she is not merely your typical reality TV starlet. In an overexposed, overblown world of celebrity escapades, tantrums, and catfights, she stands out as cool, calm, and collected.
Even amidst vicious rumors and betrayals from former friends, Lauren proved to be the epitome of class. She follows the often-recited, rarely-regarded mantra: if you don’t have anything nice to say, don’t say anything at all.
And while The Hills and its camera crews were a huge part of her life, Lauren never wanted it to be her life. Perhaps that’s one of the things that made her so interesting to watch: for her, the show was not just a way for her to become the latest “celebutante” and skip lines at clubs. She is a girl with ambitions. Her roles on MTV proved to be an excellent launching platform for her next venture: designing.
This was a passion born long before TV cameras and crews ever entered Lauren’s life.
She fell in love with the fashion industry when she was a little girl, and was dreaming of designing by the time she was in junior high. And she did more than just dream: from the time she was 16, Lauren sought to gain industry experience: from working retail to interning at trade shows, showrooms, fashion PR offices, and magazines, she’s taken every opportunity to learn every aspect of the business possible.
These efforts began to come together in a very tangible way with the launch of her very own fashion line, “The Lauren Conrad Collection”, at the Project Trade Show in Las Vegas in August 2007. Lauren channeled her innate creativity and California spirit into this line characterized by novelty detailing, playful accents, and clean lines and shapes. This line also appeared at the Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week in Los Angeles 2 consecutive years. In light of her accomplishments, Lauren also had the high honor of designing a dress for the Trophy model for the 2008 Emmy Awards. The Lauren Conrad Collection is currently in the process of being relaunched in early 2011.
The driven designer has also launched her second line, LC Lauren Conrad, sold exclusively at Kohls. Lauren handpicks her favorite up-and-coming trends for each season and infuses them with her cool, California vibe, creating a casual, feminine collection of fun and wearable designer fashion items at affordable prices. It launched in the woman’s department of 300 Kohl’s stores in September 2009 and launched in all stores nationwide in the Spring of 2010. It is also sold online at www.Kohls.com.
Lauren has said that as much as she’s enjoyed her experiences in the entertainment industry, she knows that her heart is not in acting, singing, dancing or performing. And rather than try to force a career in a field she's not passionate about for the limelight's sake, she’s choosing to pursue the things that make her happy, and one of those things has always been fashion.
And recently, she’s discovered another passion…
While designing was a dream since childhood, not even Lauren herself imagined that she would one day be a best-selling author.
But in 2009, she added that title to her ever-expanding repitoire. This new evolution naturally progressed out of her penchant for the creative process, and she signed a three-book deal with Harper Collins and began her first attempt at penning a full-length novel.
That attempt proved extraordinarily successful: her first book, LA Candy was released in June of 2009 and remained at #1 on the New York Times Bestseller List for seven weeks, spending 16 weeks on the list total. Her subsequent novel, Sweet Little Lies, was released in February 2010, and also went to #1. It stayed at #1 for three weeks, and spent 12 weeks on the list total. While Sweet Little Lies was in the tip spot, the paperback version of LA Candy was released and also rocketed to #1. As a result, Lauren had the amazing honor of simultaneously holding a #1 position in both the hardcover and paperback categories!
Now, Lauren has completed a style guide to be released later this year, and is completing the final installment of her original trilogy. Lauren has said that she had no idea how much she would love writing, and is already looking forward to starting another book. From the look of her sales, her fans can’t wait either.
The producers of Twilight have picked up Lauren’s book series for a movie, which is currently in its initial stages.
From 2007 to 2010, Lauren Conrad was also the official spokesperson for mark, a beauty and fashion boutique brand of Avon Products, Inc., that provides young women with the unique opportunity to create their own entrepreneurial platform for business. In 2008, she helped launch the m.powerment campaign, which seeks to educate young women about abusive relationships and the potential impact they can have on their lives, while also teaching them to recognize the signs of healthy relationships. Lauren is committed to helping empower young women to take a stand against dating abuse and partner violence.
