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Lauren Conrad may be back for The Reunion: Laguna Beach (it airs tonight on The Roku Channel<\/a>), but don\u2019t expect a permanent return to reality TV. For the last 17 years, Conrad has been hyper-focused on her LC Lauren Conrad fashion line at Kohl\u2019s<\/a>\u2014and given the success of the brand and its following, she\u2019s doubling down even more.<\/p>\n Today’s Top Deals<\/strong><\/p>\n StyleCaster had a chance to chat with Conrad a couple weeks before The Reunion aired, asking Conrad to really reflect back on who she was (or who we thought she was) 20 years ago, what her teen self would be most surprised by if she learned what she was up to these days, and how clearly she was always on the fashion path. We also asked which eyeliner Conrad uses to achieve that iconic black cat-eye, because of course we did.<\/p>\n Lauren Conrad Was Always Going to Be a Fashion Designer<\/p>\n Women\u2019s LC Lauren Conrad Laguna Beach Surf Club Graphic Sweatshirt<\/p>\n $30\u00a0Buy Now<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n To celebrate The Reunion, LC Lauren Conrad dropped a limited edition Laguna Beach collection at Kohl\u2019s\u2014a vintage-inspired crewneck sweatshirt, and a beachy T-shirt.<\/p>\n Lauren Conrad Was Always Going to Be a Fashion Designer<\/p>\n Women\u2019s LC Lauren Conrad Boyfriend Graphic Tee<\/p>\n $20\u00a0Buy Now<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n Conrad did, indeed, come clean.<\/p>\n StyleCaster (SC):<\/strong> You went from reality TV star to fashion\/lifestyle entrepreneur \u2014 was there a specific moment when you knew design was the path you wanted to commit to fully?<\/strong><\/p>\n Lauren Conrad (LC): <\/strong>I\u2019ve wanted to work in fashion since I was young, and it\u2019s what I went to college for. I had multiple internships, some of which were filmed and some were not, and the more time I spent in that environment the more I fell in love with it.\u00a0 Launching my line with Kohl\u2019s in 2009 was a turning point. Over the past 16 years, I\u2019ve been able to grow that into a full lifestyle brand, which has been incredibly rewarding.<\/p>\n SC: The fashion industry can be notoriously dismissive of celebrities who try to cross over into design. How did you prove yourself creatively, and whose validation mattered most to you early on?<\/strong><\/p>\n LC:<\/strong> I think what separated me from a lot of people was that I\u00a0 was on this path\u00a0with or without television. It wasn\u2019t just something I decided to do once I gained some notoriety. And I understood early on that I needed to approach it with a lot of humility and a willingness to learn. I\u2019ve always tried to stay very hands-on in the design process and focus on creating pieces that women actually want to wear in their everyday lives. Working with Kohl\u2019s gave me the opportunity to build something over time, rather than just launch something quickly.<\/p>\n SC: How do you approach the balance between what you personally want to put out into the world creatively vs. what you know your customer actually wants to buy?<\/strong><\/p>\n LC:<\/strong> I think it\u2019s about finding the right balance. There are certain colors and silhouettes that don\u2019t necessarily suit me, but that doesn\u2019t mean they wouldn\u2019t look great on my customer. At the same time you want the brand to have a clear aesthetic so you have to be thoughtful about what you\u2019re including in each collection. Every season there are trends that we have to create our own version of or walk away from altogether.<\/p>\n Lauren Conrad at The Reunion: \u201cLaguna Beach\u201d Special Event held at Shutters on the Beach on March 26, 2026 in Santa Monica, California.JC Olivera\/Variety<\/p>\n SC: Tell us the fashion trends you\u2019re predicting for summer 2026. What should we be on the lookout for?<\/strong><\/p>\n LC:<\/strong> I\u2019m always drawn to pieces that feel timeless with a seasonal update. For summer, we\u2019re seeing a lot of soft, feminine details, lightweight fabrics, subtle texture, and relaxed silhouettes that still feel polished. In our most recent collection, we created some feminine cream tops that are great basics with jeans.\u00a0From my collection, I love a breezy midi dress for summer, it\u2019s one of those pieces you can wear anywhere.<\/p>\n SC: Looking back at Laguna Beach now, how accurately do you think it captured who you actually were at 17 \u2014 and what did it get completely wrong?<\/strong><\/p>\n LC:<\/strong> I think it captured a version of me, but not the full picture, which is understandable. You\u2019re seeing a very edited snapshot of a specific time in someone\u2019s life.<\/p>\n SC: If a teen version of you could see where you are now, what do you think would surprise her most?<\/strong><\/p>\n LC:<\/strong> I think she\u2019d be surprised that I was able to turn something I cared about so much into a long-term career. Building LC Lauren Conrad and Little Co. with Kohl\u2019s over the past 16 years is something I\u2019m really proud of. What started as a small collection has grown into a full lifestyle brand, and I don\u2019t think my 17 year old self could have fully imagined that.<\/p>\n SC: What do you want people who only know you from that TV era to understand about who you are now?<\/strong><\/p>\n LC: <\/strong>That it was just one chapter of my life. Since then, I\u2019ve been able to build a career and a life that feels very true to who I am now. I\u2019m a mom, I run my brands, and I design collections that reflect real, everyday life. In a lot of ways, that early dream I had during Laguna Beach [to work in fashion] is still at the center of everything I do. It\u2019s just grown and evolved over time.<\/p>\n Lauren Conrad at The Reunion: \u201cLaguna Beach\u201d Special Event held at Shutters on the Beach on March 26, 2026 in Santa Monica, California.JC Olivera\/Variety<\/p>\n As for Conrad\u2019s legendary cat-eye? Conrad\u2019s makeup artist Olivia Madorma<\/a> and hairstylist Kathleen Riley <\/a>exclusively tell StyleCaster that she uses Makeup by Mario\u2019s Master Pigment Pro eyeliner pencil<\/a> (in Super Black), and she buffs it out using Patrick Ta\u2019s Major Dimension III Matte Eyeshadow Palette<\/a>.<\/p>\n Lauren Conrad Was Always Going to Be a Fashion Designer<\/p>\n Makeup by Mario Master Pigment Pro Eyeliner Pencil<\/p>\n $26\u00a0Buy Now at Kohl\u2019s<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n $26\u00a0Buy Now at Sephora<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n Lauren Conrad Was Always Going to Be a Fashion Designer<\/p>\n Patrick Ta Major Dimension III Matte Eyeshadow Palette<\/p>\n $70\u00a0Buy Now at Kohl\u2019s<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n $70\u00a0Buy Now at Sephora<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n While you won\u2019t be seeing Conrad on TV anytime soon (on April 7, the former Laguna Beach star told colleague and ex-nemesis Kristin Cavallari on her podcast Let\u2019s Be Honest, she saw the reunion special as a way to say \u201cgoodbye\u201d to everyone and to \u201chang up that entertainment hat\u201d), LC Lauren Conrad and Little Co<\/a> (Conrad\u2019s children\u2019s line, also at Kohl\u2019s) still have plenty of seasons to go.<\/p>\n Best of StyleCaster<\/strong><\/p>\n Sign up for Stylecaster’s Newsletter<\/a>. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook<\/a>, Twitter<\/a>, and Instagram<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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