Lauren Conrad

Lauren Katherine Conrad (born February 1, 1986 ) is an American television personality, fashion designer and author.

Conrad was born in Laguna Beach, California on February 1, 1986, to Jim, an architect, and Kathy (née Lawrence).

She has two younger siblings, a sister named Breanna, also a television personality, and a brother, Brandon.

Conrad first expressed an interest in a career in the fashion industry when she was in the sixth grade.

Her father added that Conrad "wasn't a great student [and] wasn't that interested" during her childhood, although noted that "we figured out along the way that she was an artist and her real love was fashion."

Alongside eventual castmates Lo Bosworth, Kristin Cavallari, and Stephen Colletti, Conrad attended Laguna Beach High School.

In September 2004, she came to prominence after being cast in the reality television series Laguna Beach: The Real Orange County, which documented her and her friends' lives in their hometown of Laguna Beach, California.

Conrad later moved to Los Angeles to pursue a career in the fashion industry.

In 2004, they starred in Laguna Beach: The Real Orange County, an MTV reality television series which documented their lives during high school.

During its production, she was often referred to by the initialism "L.C.", although she has since expressed her distaste for the nickname.

The series proved successful for the network; she described the lifestyle it imposed on her as being "definitely a different way to grow up".

The first season notably focused on the love triangle between Conrad, Cavallari, and Colletti, and the subsequent feud between the former two.

Upon the conclusion of the first season, Conrad appeared on an episode of MTV Cribs.

After graduating from high school in 2004, Conrad attended the Academy of Art University in San Francisco for one semester, where she met Heidi Montag.

Conrad left the series after the second season, during which period she moved back home and transferred to the Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising in Los Angeles, though she did not graduate with a degree.

After moving to Los Angeles in 2005, the spin-off series The Hills was developed to chronicle the lives of Conrad, her housemate Montag, her neighbor Audrina Patridge and her work colleague Whitney Port.

During production of the first season, Conrad and Port held internships with Teen Vogue under the direction of West Coast Vogue editor Lisa Love; she stated that they had to interview successfully for the positions, "regardless of what the cameras wanted".

By the second season, Lauren's friendship with Heidi had deteriorated after Montag began dating Spencer Pratt.

After Montag moved in with Pratt, Patridge and Lo Bosworth later became roommates with Conrad.

During the third season, Conrad ended her friendship with Montag after she suspected that Montag and Pratt were responsible for rumors of a sex tape involving herself and her former boyfriend Jason Wahler; the ensuing feud carried through each subsequent season in which Conrad appeared.

Conrad briefly dated fellow castmate Brody Jenner, which she commented had been subject to "editing to drag it out" during the series.

She received her own spin-off series The Hills and starred in five of its six seasons from 2006 to 2009.

During its production, she also attended the Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising and interned for Teen Vogue and Kelly Cutrone's public relations firm People's Revolution.

Conrad later founded the fashion lines LC Lauren Conrad and Paper Crown, and co-founded the fair trade online store The Little Market.

She has published nine books, including L.A. Candy and The Fame Game trilogies.

After her sister Breanna became a primary cast member, Conrad made a guest appearance on the series during the third season in 2006.

In January 2007, Conrad was announced as the inaugural spokeswoman of Avon Products's "mark."

Later in 2007, Conrad appeared as a satirical version of herself alongside Carmen Electra in the comedy film Epic Movie.

In 2008, Conrad and Port began interning with Kelly Cutrone's PR firm, People's Revolution.

Upon the conclusion of the fourth season of The Hills in December 2008, Conrad wished to leave the series to pursue other career opportunities.

However, per the producers' requests, she filmed ten episodes for the following season, in which she closed her storylines.

Conrad made her final appearance on the series in May 2009, attending Montag and Pratt's wedding after much deliberation during the mid-season finale of the fifth season.

However, in the July 2009 issue of Cosmopolitan, she stated that producers had pressured her into a reconciliation with Montag throughout the season, adding that she was displeased when they would not allow otherwise.

line, marketed towards young women; she was succeeded by actress Ashley Greene in June 2010.

Conrad was replaced by former Laguna Beach castmate Kristin Cavallari until the series' conclusion in July 2010.

In September 2010, Conrad was to star in an MTV series that would have focused on her career endeavors, though the network chose not to pick up the program after Conrad preferred not to film her private life.

That month, Conrad revealed that she had filmed an alternate ending for The Hills with Jenner.

Upon the conclusion of their month-long morning marathon of the series, titled "RetroMTV Brunch", MTV aired the footage in August 2013.

The scene depicts Jenner returning to his apartment after seeing Cavallari's limousine off to Europe.

Conrad is revealed to be sitting on his couch, and comforts him that "it's hard to say goodbye" to a "friend of [his]", before the camera focuses on a smiling Conrad.