Lauren Conrad Tells Us Everything About Designing Her Own Maternity Line (While Pregnant)
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If you came of age with the Laguna Beach crew, you’ve probably followed Lauren Conrad through numerous life stages, both on and off the small screen. On The Hills, we watched her nab her first internship at Teen Vogue. Since then, she’s launched her own fashion line, Paper Crown, has been steadily adding new collections to her LC Lauren Conrad label at Kohl’s, and also has a popular lifestyle blog that’s spawned books. Her career moves have often reflected her personal life, too — her wedding provided plenty of brides with Pinterest inspiration of the rose gold-accented, soft-focus-shot, unabashedly feminine variety, and it also prompted a Dress Up capsule for her Kohl’s line when Conrad had a full calendar of friends’ weddings. Now that Conrad is pregnant, her design endeavors are reflecting that latest stage, too.
Today, LC Lauren Conrad Maternity is dropping at the department store and online, just a week after her first swimwear collection bowed. Below, Conrad talks us through her newest additions to her ever-expanding Kohl’s label (and soon to be to her family). Plus, click through to check out some of the styles in her inaugural maternity offering.
How long has your maternity line been in progress?
“It’s actually been in the works for quite some time, actually. It takes a while to develop each of my Kohl’s lines, actually. As soon as my pregnancy got announced, I’ve been hard at work on it — I’ve been really rushing because, selfishly, I want the samples to wear. But I’m so happy with how it turned out. Going into it, one of the main things I wanted was to create a maternity line that felt vey in sync with the existing [LC Lauren Conrad] line I’ve produced. When I first started shopping for maternity clothes myself, I felt like I was having a difficult time finding pieces that were really in tune with my own personal style. I obviously had to dress differently for my shape, but I still wanted to wear the trends that I was seeing, and pieces I’d wear if I wasn’t pregnant.”
“It’s actually been in the works for quite some time, actually. It takes a while to develop each of my Kohl’s lines, actually. As soon as my pregnancy got announced, I’ve been hard at work on it — I’ve been really rushing because, selfishly, I want the samples to wear. But I’m so happy with how it turned out. Going into it, one of the main things I wanted was to create a maternity line that felt vey in sync with the existing [LC Lauren Conrad] line I’ve produced. When I first started shopping for maternity clothes myself, I felt like I was having a difficult time finding pieces that were really in tune with my own personal style. I obviously had to dress differently for my shape, but I still wanted to wear the trends that I was seeing, and pieces I’d wear if I wasn’t pregnant.”
Did you find maternity clothes harder to conceive than other collections?
“I think you’re just more limited in terms of what silhouettes you can go with. A dress you’d normally design with a natural waist gets made with an empire waist. I also looked at our existing collection and said, ‘What pieces here would work in maternity?’ One piece we did in my main collection is an off-the-shoulder top I really love, and I’ve worn it several times. But it wasn’t quite long enough for me, so we just tweaked the length a little so it had a tunic length, in order to wear it throughout a pregnancy. Small tweaks, fit-wise, made a number of pieces work for maternity.”
“I think you’re just more limited in terms of what silhouettes you can go with. A dress you’d normally design with a natural waist gets made with an empire waist. I also looked at our existing collection and said, ‘What pieces here would work in maternity?’ One piece we did in my main collection is an off-the-shoulder top I really love, and I’ve worn it several times. But it wasn’t quite long enough for me, so we just tweaked the length a little so it had a tunic length, in order to wear it throughout a pregnancy. Small tweaks, fit-wise, made a number of pieces work for maternity.”
How extensive is your future baby’s wardrobe at this point?
“I actually haven’t bought a ton more clothes, just because I kind of went crazy it the beginning. So I really have more than enough. I’m set! It’s a pretty basic ‘wardrobe’; I’ll have plenty of time when our kid gets here to do more shopping.”
“I actually haven’t bought a ton more clothes, just because I kind of went crazy it the beginning. So I really have more than enough. I’m set! It’s a pretty basic ‘wardrobe’; I’ll have plenty of time when our kid gets here to do more shopping.”
Are there pieces in your closet you’re planning to save and pass on if you have a daughter at some point?
“It’ll be more accessories than clothing, like handbags and jewelry. Pieces that are really special to mean are truly timeless are what I’d hope to pass on one day. My weddings dresses I’ll definitely keep forever. I’ll just keep things that are sentimental to me, and hope that someday a child, another relative, or friend will be able to treasure them as well. I don’t think it’s anything you can force on someone.”
“It’ll be more accessories than clothing, like handbags and jewelry. Pieces that are really special to mean are truly timeless are what I’d hope to pass on one day. My weddings dresses I’ll definitely keep forever. I’ll just keep things that are sentimental to me, and hope that someday a child, another relative, or friend will be able to treasure them as well. I don’t think it’s anything you can force on someone.”
Now that you’re pretty far along in your pregnancy, what kinds of shoes are you wearing nowadays?
“I’m just very pregnant; I’ll tell you that. I’m wearing only slides or running shoes for comfort. Only flats! I’m not making any statements with my footwear.”
“I’m just very pregnant; I’ll tell you that. I’m wearing only slides or running shoes for comfort. Only flats! I’m not making any statements with my footwear.”
What have you truly missed being able to wear while pregnant?
“I’m excited to get back into denim. We did some jeggings in my Kohl’s maternity line — a sort of pull-on with a stretchy waistband — which I was excited about, because I haven’t been able to wear most pants. I’ve been fortunate that it’s been warm out during my pregnancy, so I’ve wearing a lot of dresses. But I love high-waisted denim, and I’m looking forward to getting back into those. I don’t know if I’ll be fitting into my pre-pregnancy ones right away, but I’ll be wearing some form of them.”
“I’m excited to get back into denim. We did some jeggings in my Kohl’s maternity line — a sort of pull-on with a stretchy waistband — which I was excited about, because I haven’t been able to wear most pants. I’ve been fortunate that it’s been warm out during my pregnancy, so I’ve wearing a lot of dresses. But I love high-waisted denim, and I’m looking forward to getting back into those. I don’t know if I’ll be fitting into my pre-pregnancy ones right away, but I’ll be wearing some form of them.”
Have you had any really unusual food cravings?
“I haven’t. I’m just a little bit limited, because I have very bad heartburn everyday. So, I’m just sort of on a bland diet. In the middle, I was sick a lot, so there were certain foods I avoided; any sort of spiced food, or anything with lots of sauces. But nothing wacky!”
“I haven’t. I’m just a little bit limited, because I have very bad heartburn everyday. So, I’m just sort of on a bland diet. In the middle, I was sick a lot, so there were certain foods I avoided; any sort of spiced food, or anything with lots of sauces. But nothing wacky!”
Have you been missing raw fish or alcohol during pregnancy?
“Alcohol? Yes! Honestly, it wasn’t as difficult as I thought it was going to be. I’m a person who really enjoys a glass of wine at the end of the night, or going out with girlfriends and getting drinks, so I always thought it would be hard to give up alcohol for that long. Don’t get me wrong — I’m definitely looking forward to having my first glass of wine!”
“Alcohol? Yes! Honestly, it wasn’t as difficult as I thought it was going to be. I’m a person who really enjoys a glass of wine at the end of the night, or going out with girlfriends and getting drinks, so I always thought it would be hard to give up alcohol for that long. Don’t get me wrong — I’m definitely looking forward to having my first glass of wine!”
People tend to pack a bag for the hospital — do you already have outfits picked out?
“It’s not going to be very exciting, since when you leave the hospital, your body still looks like you’re a few months pregnant still. So, it’ll probably be something loose-fitting and comfortable!”
“It’s not going to be very exciting, since when you leave the hospital, your body still looks like you’re a few months pregnant still. So, it’ll probably be something loose-fitting and comfortable!”
Back to your clothing designs — beyond maternity, what else haven’t you gotten to tackle yet?
“Kohl’s has been really great about allowing me to grow my brand organically. There’s definitely a connection between things happening in my personal life and what’s happening with the line. For example, when I had a lot of weddings coming up, we did the Dress Up Shop — when the maternity opportunity came up, I was so excited because I felt like there was a void in the market. And it’s always exciting to be able to create something that I haven’t been able to find myself.”
“Kohl’s has been really great about allowing me to grow my brand organically. There’s definitely a connection between things happening in my personal life and what’s happening with the line. For example, when I had a lot of weddings coming up, we did the Dress Up Shop — when the maternity opportunity came up, I was so excited because I felt like there was a void in the market. And it’s always exciting to be able to create something that I haven’t been able to find myself.”
Does that mean we might see LC Lauren Conrad kids’ clothing down the line?
“Maybe! I personally like to experience things before designing them. I wanted to do my own maternity shopping and familiarize myself with the market before diving into the category. So, I’d want to have a tiny person and dress them before I dive into that category. Everything is cuter when it’s so small, though, so I’d love to at some point.”
“Maybe! I personally like to experience things before designing them. I wanted to do my own maternity shopping and familiarize myself with the market before diving into the category. So, I’d want to have a tiny person and dress them before I dive into that category. Everything is cuter when it’s so small, though, so I’d love to at some point.”
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