In the aftermath of "The Hills," the post-production exploits of the show's stars have really run the gamut from low-key, to high-profile, to... well, has anyone even seen Spencer lately? But if (when?) it comes time for a five-year cast reunion, there's no question: Lauren Conrad will be the post-show success story for everyone to envy. Looking confident and poised in an azure Nanette Lepore dress, Lauren is sitting pretty on the cover of this month's Teen Vogue—and dishing about her new fashion line and love life.
It's common knowledge that Lauren's been keeping busy; the star has already penned several best-selling books, collaborated on a clothing line for Kohl's and is hard at work launching a new label called "Paper Crown," which is all about the fun of dressing up. The line is her latest contribution to the fashion scene, but don't be expecting any major changes; Lauren's signature, ultra-feminine, go-big-or-go-home style will be on display in all its glory. She tells the interviewer, "They were like, 'Do you want to do sunglasses,' and I said, 'Only if I can do them big!' Then they were like, ‘Do you want to do shoes?' And I said, ‘Only if I can do them tall!'"
Lauren's been enjoying her moments outside of the TV celebrity spotlight, but when she returns for her upcoming reality series, the starlet knows exactly what to expect.
"They literally zoom in on your cellulite," she says, referring to the paparazzi who still stalk her day-to-day movements. The relentless photogs have kept her away from public beaches lately, and when she does go, she keeps things covered up. She adds, "It's brutal. I have a beach at home in Laguna that's private, so that’s my bikini time."
Bikini time spent with hunky boyfriend Kyle Howard, by any chance? Lauren's keeping coy about her private life, but she admits to being perfectly happy with things the way they are, saying, "I'm not really thinking about The One. But I'm in a very content place now. That's good enough for me!"
Lauren also tells the mag how she was so ready to move on from the glitzy "Hills" world. "I left right before I went crazy!" she confesses, referring to her decision to leave the show during its fifth season. But that's all she'll say; Lauren's been too classy to give specifics on what sort of drama precipitated her departure, even opting to write a fictional series loosely based on the show rather than pen a tell-all memoir.
As she puts it: "I can have fun writing, but I'm not really telling anyone's secrets."
Well, okay. But we're still going to entertain ourselves by guessing at the character inspiration for Madison, the book series' bad girl who's getting her own literary spin-off this year. And despite having carefully avoided any mention of her co-stars—and any scandals of her own—following the show, Lauren does confess that she's loving reliving those years from a less-classy gal's point of view.
"You basically get to be the most shallow, fame-obsessed person," she says. "I’m having a lot of fun writing it!"
Are you impressed with Lauren's post-"Hills" career?
** Hollywood Crush Twitter