Lauren Conrad On Rewriting Her Style Story Since Laguna Beach

Amidst the nostalgia boom that’s dominated the better part of the 2020s, one of the more pivotal franchises of the early aughts has finally resurfaced. Yes, after remaining relatively low key, save for the occasional rewatch podcast and interview, the original cast of Laguna Beach has come back together for an epic reunion, premiering on Roku today. For fans keeping track, it’s been more than two decades since the entire crew of Laguna Beach High School alums has been in front of cameras — including show lead and Y2K it-girl Lauren Conrad.

Conrad’s participation in the highly anticipated special is particularly exciting, as the reality TV darling-turned fashion designer has kept a low profile for years. Since walking away from the spotlight — in addition to Laguna Beach, she starred on LA-based spinoff The Hills for five years — she’s moved back to her beachside hometown to focus on family and her successful fashion career.

And while this chapter may be quieter than that under the Hollywood glare, make no mistake, Conrad is still busier than ever. She’s currently juggling mom life (she has two sons with husband William Tell), her nonprofit organization The Little Market, which supports artisan-made goods from underserved communities around the world, and two successful collections with Kohls, LC Lauren Conrad and Little Co by Lauren Conrad.

It’s clear fashion has remained a priority for Conrad since those early years on Laguna Beach, where she often spoke about her aspirations to become a designer. Her longstanding partnership with Kohl’s has allowed those dreams to become reality. It’s also made for a full-circle moment, as Conrad released a three-piece capsule collection inspired by the show that changed her life and career.

Ahead, Conrad speaks to TZR about reuniting with her Laguna Beach cast mates, her thoughts on her Y2K style (“ It was a lot of jeans and tank tops and UGG boots”), and how her fashion approach has evolved over the years.

When you think back to your Laguna Beach days, what pieces or trends instantly transport you to that time in your life?

It's sort of funny. I had a conversation with my Kohl's design team about, doing sort of an early aughts capsule in celebration of this reunion. And what we kept coming up against was that so many of these trends are relevant today. I think we're seeing a resurgence of a lot of them. So some of them never left my closet and some I'm seeing again.

But,I think that we dressed a little simpler back then. It was a lot of jeans and tank tops and UGG boots. Obviously, we were all teenagers, so we didn't have very expansive wardrobes. So I'm seeing a lot of the trends back today.

Did you bring those pieces into your Kohl’s three-piece capsule collection?

We were already having a conversation about including some swimwear pieces this summer. We launched them a little bit early and made them pieces that you could tie in with the three items we have that are very [Laguna Beach] branded, and we wanted to go with a logo. We kept going back and forth like, ‘OK, if you love a show and you want to buy a piece to celebrate it, I think you just have to have the name on there.’ So we did two [styles] of a sweatshirt that was really cute, that sort of looked like a little surf team logo and had the original Laguna Beach font on it. Then we did a T-shirt that we wanted to look like an old postcard from Laguna. We wanted to put our own spin on it so it didn't feel like a graphic tee about the show, but it was more of a sort of a wink and a nod.

How would you describe your personal style during the Laguna Beach era?

I was a pretty typical high school student. I wore a lot of C&C tanks, layered them in different color order to try and make it look like different outfits. But I had to pay for my own clothes, so I would save up for a pair of Miss Sixty jeans. We did love platforms, which I can't go back to because I just don't have the balance. But yeah, we didn't wear a lot of prints. It was a little more simplistic.

In rewatching the show, did you have any fashion moments that made you cringe?

Honestly, a lot of my outfits were pretty similar. There was one outfit that stood out: It was a backless halter top and it was a deep plunge, and I had it on with a very skinny stiletto heel and a Miss Sixty jean. But I was going to a coffee house to listen to music. And for me, it was less about the outfit because I probably would've worn that to a club, no problem. But [the look] was just so out of place. And I'm like, ‘Did they tell us where we were going when we were filming this?’ Because we were so glammed up. It's also possible we had plans after that, but that one just always stands out to me where I’m like, ‘Why did I wear that?’

Reflecting from your early TV days to now, have there been any key turning points that have shaped your style? What are some pivotal life shifts that have impacted your fashion approach?

I've always dressed for the life I've lived. When I was growing up and filming our first season of Laguna Beach, I dressed pretty simply. It was a lot of jeans and tank tops. Once I moved to LA and I was filming there, there was a big shift in my wardrobe because I had to go to an office and I was living in a city, and I had a more active nightlife. So I was definitely getting a lot more dressed up and it was so much fun to put together those outfits.

As I’ve gotten older and moved back to my hometown and had kids, I've sort of reverted back to my original style just because this is the life I live. I spend my weekends going to the beach and baseball games and I love it, but I don't have a need for cocktail dresses in my everyday life. Every once in a while I'll get dressed up and I love doing it, but it's just not with the same frequency as it used to be.

What pieces in your current wardrobe feel the most you?

Most of the time, unless it's hot out, I'm usually in a high top [sneaker]. I wear a lot of [Converse] Chuck [Taylors]. I'm about to go to the airport and I'm in Chucks now. Day to day, I like kind of a looser woven pant. I wear a lot of knit tops. I've started getting more dressier tops because I know the going out top is coming back, which I actually really love. And I have a couple of just third layer pieces that I go to. I have this denim jacket that's a more unique cut. It's more of like a shacket. Those are kind of my go-tos. I'm pretty casual.

You’ve worked with Kohl’s since 2009 — that’s a long time! How has it impacted how you view personal style?

When we started out with Kohl's, it was a very narrow selection. And as we've grown, we have to serve a wider audience. We're always seeing trends through a certain filter and we always do our own take on it, but we do have to take into account that while this is a California brand and that's very much our DNA, people all over the country have to be able to wear it. We actually have different versions of pieces that will go to different markets for each season, just depending on sleeve length or weight of fabric. So we have that. We're also taking into consideration different body types. We started out with just straight sizes, and now have both petites and plus, which I really love. I always wanted this to be a brand for everybody. It's just kind of slowly grown over the years and every decision we make is really informed by customer feedback.

What's sort of the biggest career lesson you've learned over the years?

I've learned so many lessons. I think when it comes to fashion, it's important to have a strong identity as a brand. The brands that I go back to the most are ones where I know what I'm going to find. If I'm looking for a good blazer, I go here. If I'm looking for a really good pair of jeans, I go here. I think it's great to be a go-to and have consistency in your brand, but also be able to bring newness so that it's not the same old thing. That's always been a constant balance for us. Another lesson I’ve learned is to look for the white space. If you're ever trying to find something and you can't find it, you're not the only one. So it's important to not just follow other designers, but also create your own mark and fill the white space.

After more than 15 years in fashion, how do you stay inspired?

Well, fortunately the fashion industry is ever-changing. We have a talented team that is always watching trends, paying attention to what's out there. And I think I get to work with a group of people who's really excited to do this. We actually have monthly deliveries. It's not even seasonal. Every month we have a new delivery and a new story and new inspiration. And honestly, it's a group of people who have a lot of fun doing this, which I think is important. But anyone who works in the industry knows that inspiration is everywhere and it's a lot of fun to go find.