By Chelsea Tirrell @ hofstrachronicle.com
Lauren Conrad glowed as brilliantly as ever at her recent book signing, which took place at the Barnes and Noble on Old Country Road. While I was sadly unable to attend, I’d heard from the sales desk that the phones were ringing off the hook about it. I figured as much because her fan base is so immense but to my surprise, my whining about not being able to go was shut down several times by people stating, “What’s the point? LC is pathetic.” Huh? Did I hear that right?
Conrad became an icon the moment “Laguna Beach” hit the reality television platform. America’s girl next door, Conrad was the talk of girls and guys alike – chicks wanted to be her and dudes wanted to, well, you know.
But as time went on, Conrad’s image became a little less than perfect. She was subtly becoming more and more materialistic and her arguments with friends on and off the air were amongst the talking points. What took the cherry on top of the cake, though, was her infamous sex-tape scandal with ex-boyfriend Jason. And like every other celebrity who’s been thrown under the bus, Conrad was suddenly the talk of the town.
Yet she managed to stay on top (no pun intended). She continued to carry “The Hills’” ratings with her juicy everyday life, landed herself on the cover of Cosmopolitan, Teen Vogue, Us Weekly, Rolling Stone, and Entertainment Weekly, and became a New York Times Bestseller.
So what is it? Is Conrad still America’s sweetheart or has she conformed to the Hollywood norm? I’d have to argue that she’s still as sweet as her new trilogy – L.A. Candy.
For one, Conrad managed to be the most realistic of the bunch both with “Laguna Beach” and “The Hills.” She represents the lifestyle that so many are living. That is, she’s working and supporting herself without the help of her insanely rich parents (proven via the “Laguna Beach” episode where she takes Stephen into her backyard where her spill-over Jacuzzi has a breathtaking view of the beautiful California). Conrad wasn’t just working though, she was also attending school, further making her that much more relatable – especially to college girls.
She had a dream and stuck to it without letting the shiny lights of Hollywood get in her way. This is all the more reason to believe she’s a stellar role model. Conrad never gave up regardless of obstacles in her way or cameras breathing down her neck. Not only did she stick to her guns, she also stood up for what she wanted to be – a fashion icon.
In addition, Conrad is always put together nicely. Whether she’s just going out for a meal with her girls or heading out to one of her work events, she always dresses to impress. Perhaps envious fashion fiends are to blame for her sometimes negative reputation. From the moment her first show aired, she established herself. Since that moment, she’s grown in so many ways. Conrad has already put out two of her anticipated three books, all of which are similar to her own life but succulent in their own unique way. She is also a representative of Mark Cosmetics and has her own line of clothes for sale available at Kohl’s stores titled LC Lauren Conrad.
We’ve all got big dreams and if we can look at one person as inspiration, it’s Lauren Conrad. You can do anything you set your mind to and none other than Conrad herself is a perfect example of that.
The Hills star gave us some dish on her personal style at Kari Feinstein's Golden Globes Style Lounge, where she picked up goodies like Dr. Rey shapewear, a Vivitar digi cam and USANA HealthPak vitamins.
