“Do something that you love, surround yourself with people you trust, learn from your mistakes, work hard, and don’t let other people’s opinions of you become your limitations.” ~Lauren Conrad
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When Lauren Conrad first auditioned for MTV’s Laguna Beach, she didn’t know how much of an impact it would have on her life. When the relatable high school graduate moved to Los Angeles for an internship at “Teen Vogue” and college – the cameras followed her. A new show entitled, The Hills was created and became one of MTV’s most successful shows.
While she wasn’t excited about having cameras following her around all the time, she knew it was a great way to launch the fashion career she had always dreamt of.
“When a portion of your life is highlighted in the media, people have difficulty seeing the rest. In my case, becoming a designer wasn’t always the central focus of Laguna Beach and The Hills but it’s been my lifelong dream… I’ve made a career out of allowing cameras to capture my personal life but that doesn’t make me “just another reality star” looking to start a clothing line,” She explained in a lifestyle piece in Forbes.
Some reality and TV stars simply use their fame to create clothing lines and businesses just because they can – but it really isn’t something they had the talent for in the first place. On the other hand, stars like Lauren Conrad, Jessica Alba, and others have used their fame to pursue what they have always loved.
Since leaving The Hills in 2009, Lauren has continued to create a name for herself. She has two successful websites: one focused on lifestyle and one on beauty. She designs and runs two clothing lines: one lower-end line for Kohl’s (LC by Lauren Conrad) and one higher-end line called Paper Crown. She is also a New York Times bestselling author and has signed multiple book deals with Harper Collins.
Recently, Conrad traveled all over the world with one of her best friends to find local female artisans in several different communities. The two worked with these groups and helped provide design insights for the products these women made. With this, “The Little Market” was launched, which gives these women earnings from the sales of their fair trade and locally made products.
