On Tuesday night the second season of The City premiered on MTV. I’ve been stewing over the new episode since it aired, and I’m not sure why I still watch a show that never fails to frustrate me.
I’m a recent college grad and current industry intern, who has spent hours sending in dozens of internship applications only to get one response. I know what it’s like to spend an entire day in the fashion closet of a major publication, and how grueling it is to write up entire racks of clothes and then wheel them around town. Conveniently, none of the unpleasant aspects of fashion internships are ever depicted on the show.
By now it’s no secret that much of the action on The City is staged, but its classification as a “reality show” blurs the line between the real and the fake. Younger girls who are in the target demographic might not realize that breaking into the fashion industry isn’t so simple, and doesn’t provide instant perks. To be perfectly honest, growing up in Virginia and going to school at Tulane, I didn’t know the full scope of what a lot of jobs in the industry required until I had one. And I’m pretty sure I’m not alone in that fact.
We’ve interviewed stylists and editors and publicists and designers, but we’ve never entered the world of blogging, or even the internet for a Life With.
We know you love their site. We love their site. And I made it a priority to sit down with Hillary Kerr and Katherine Power while in LA at the end of July to learn how they left the world of print and moved onto the internet. And more importantly, how they ended up putting together one of the most successful fashion sites among the millions.
Inside, how they blew up, where they’re going and what the launch of their book means
to them.
Whitney Port, of The Hills and The City, has apparently “designed” a lipstick for Cargo. Of course, I recognize that there is PR value and it’s very lovely that a portion of the profits go to St. Jude’s. But really, I’ve always found these collaborations, if you can even call them that, rather dumb.
I love what Lancôme does in their Pout-à-Porter series with designers like Peter Som and Thakoon. And I can’t wait to see the new Chris Benz shade and find out who won the naming contest! These are literally tied to the runway looks of these designers. In fact, they’re actually used on the models in the show. There’s a context and a point behind the shades.
But I personally could care less when someone like Whitney or Tinsley (that Dior Beauty Ambassador thing still boggles my mind) point at a shade of pink and throws her name on it.
The no-longer-star of The Hills has been working with the department store for almost a year to produce an exclusive line, LC Lauren Conrad.
The announcement comes less than two months after reports that she’d be closing her own line, though The New York Times says she’s just taking a break before re-launching her eponymous collection overseas in 2010. Apparently, she wants, “to give it a whole new feel.”
LC’s been hard at work designing “California inspired” t-shirts, dresses and jeans for Kohl’s, all of which will fall between $20 and $60. Come October, three hundred stores will carry the collection and pending its inevitable success the other seven hundred Kohl’s locations across the country may pick it up.
We’re betting the clothes are similar to her original collection of slouchy t-shirts and jersey dresses but at a much more reasonable price point. Maybe we can play this, “Spot the Difference” game between her $150 basics of yesteryear and her favorite Kohl’s tee?
A while back, we noticed that Lauren Conrad’s Collection was curiously tucked into the DVF section of Bloomingdale’s in Soho. We’ve also recently noticed that everyone’s so taken with scenes involving Olivia Palermo on The City, that the name “Spencer” has ceased to draw the same level of ire as in summers past.
So it looks like the DVF empire has squashed LC’s before it ever really got off the ground. Not only is her show finally ending while The City becomes socially acceptable for conversation (ok, with some people), but it looks like her line has gone kaput, too.
The New York Post says it’s because of “the economic climate” but we think this is just what happens when little fish jump into the Pacific Ocean, camera crew or not.
If the mere existence of The City didn’t make this one obvious, allow the cold hard facts to stand alone:
Lauren Conrad is leavingThe Hills after season five, which premieres March 30th.
No word on exactly what the show will become without its north star, but here’s the better question - what exactly is Lauren going to do with her life after being (arguably) reality TV’s best known experiment?
Us: “No, but I think Whitney actually does work there. People saw her at he DVF show in September, like organizing models backstage with a clipboard.”
Girl: “Hm, weird, because she kind of doesn’t.”
Us: “Hm?”
Girl: “Well, she just goes into the office to shoot scenes like she works there, like what they did on The Hills. Actually, it’s kind of sad. When they film her spots, they make the girls that actually work there move from their desks and into some cubicles in another part of the floor, because they’re actually working, but the camera people want Whitney and her on-screen work friend to look like they have real desks.”
Us: “They make the people who really work there give up their desks in the middle of the day so The City can shoot?”
Girl: “Yeah. And when the scenes are done, Whitney leaves. She doesn’t really work there.”
At this point, we had a pretty shocked look on our face. Though looking back, we have no idea why…
Maybe it’s because I’ve just returned from a long weekend in the country, or maybe it’s because I’m particularly eagle-eyed when it comes to hair, but did anyone else notice last night’s prime time hair switch?
First, I watched Blair Waldorf help save a young girl from 1 Oak sporting a side braid more reminiscent of Lauren Conrad’s cool-California girl style than her usual UES stiff. And that was funny and fine.
But then I noticed Lauren Conrad sporting a black headband (and was that a bow on it? Tilted to the side?) more reminiscent of Blair Waldorf’s uppity signature look, which always makes me think of Shannon Doherty in Heathers.
An intentional Monday night hair swap? Or an East Coast / West Coast hip-hair rivalry?
You know we doubt it’s either, but it’s just so fun to say shit like that.
If you happen to be a college student in Austin, Atlanta, Boston, Minneapolis or Los Angeles, and a fan of the Lauren Conrad Collection, then you’re in luck.
Lauren’s kicked off a college-tour of her line, The Lauren Conrad Collection College Tour, bringing a runway show to each school along the way. Apparently, she’s figured out that her key customer is young, in school, and probably in a sorority, and much more likely to buy the clothes if she graces the middle of class schedules with a fashion show.
Confirmed schools include Georgia State, Georgia Tech, University of Texas at Austin, University of Minnesota, Brandeis and BU, and shows will go on through the next month.
In other celebrity-design news, have you seen Nicole Richie’s first line for House of Harlow? Because we have to say, Kitson or not, we’re pleasantly surprised, and picturing that Pyramid Bangle with everything come Spring.
Emily Weiss, former Teen Vogue intern and Hills runway girl, now needs an intern of her own. She’s working as a 1st assistant to stylist Katie Mossman (think Numero, Bazaar) and needs a super hardworking (unpaid) intern to help out.
Musts:
1. Be available 2 - 3 days per week
2. Be cool with a wide-ranging variety of hours (sometimes, you’ll be steaming clothes by 7am. Sometimes, you’ll only work five hours then be able to catch the Monday movie at Bryant Park. Sometimes, you’ll work on Sunday)
3. Be able to handle lugging around trunks, keeping tons of different pieces straight, running around, etc. Must also be able to handle self when Coco Rocha steps into the studio on a shoot.
It would also be cool if you know your way around NYC, don’t need someone to explain what a Metrocard is, can spot Tanya D. or Nicolas down Houston - and it’d be amazing if you have some kind of PDA.
If this sounds like you, e-mail Emily directly at KatieMossmanIntern@gmail.com.
It seems the Hills star’s line of “basics” and jersey wasn’t making it with the LA crowd unless LC herself was in store to promote it.
But here’s some news that should make her say “haha” all day today -
Not only is LC herself set to appear as a presenter at the Emmys on September 21st, but the models that will strut the stage to hand out awards to every prime-time winner will be wearing dresses from the Lauren Conrad Collection.
We were watching ESPN this morning (don’t ask), when a familiar voice rang through our living room. It said:
“Work is so crazy - Fashion Week’s coming up and I have to meet with all these LA designers to learn…”
Oh yes. It was Lauren Conrad, pushing AT&T while wearing blue nail polish. (And yes, this is off Natalie’s television via her digital camera, so sorry for any shakiness.)
We’re not sure what this was doing on ESPN, but whatever, we’re just glad she says she’s going to learn something…
Olivia Palermo may deny she’s a Hills guest star, but now there’s more intrigue about whom they’re filming:
We hear that Daisy Lowe has been selected to be the “Lauren Conrad” of The Hills: London.
The project has been in the works for a while now, with UK tabloids reporting that MTV execs have been in hot pursuit of a group of connected, gorgeous, cool kids to follow around with cameras.
Weirdly, Daisy’s already been pursued for Class of 2008, a quasi-documentary about London babes that basically run around partying for twelve episodes straight.
We’re not gonna lie - we’d watch this religiously. Anything to never pay attention to Heidi and Spencer again.
Audrina Patridge is set to be in an actual movie with actual actors and actual sets, unlike her real life on tv.
She’s playing a small part in Into the Blue 2, the sequel to the beach-diving movie where Jessica Alba and Paul Walker starred in extended mini-bathing suit scenes.
Audrina’s official character is that of “beach babe”, and we can’t wait to see if she can carry the weight of the role on her shoulders.
The Hills has been lacking fashion lately, and with the elusiveness of labels and editors comes a sharp sense of anything with stitches - sort of the way you can smell anything when you’re hungry.
So when Lo says to Audrina, “are we wearing the same pants?”
We were immediately like, “Why yes, you are, and they’re Loomstate, and they’re from Barney’s Co-op, and they’re $79 on sale, but you can find similar ones at Urban Outfitters and also at Madewell.”
And that is when we decided that we will probably not watch The Hills anymore.
But even so, the pants are quite cute.
Also made from organic cotton, which we like - but not as much as we liked The Hills when it actually took place (or at least looked like it took place) inside a Conde Nast building.
That rumor we spread about Mark Fast doing a line for Topshop? It's true. And it's in last week's Sunday Telegraph magazine which means it was true before we even said anything and we've had it in our lap since... Read More
Meet Blue Logan, if you haven't already. A couple of years ago a friend dragged the soft-spoken Brit to a show at London Fashion Week, Aquascutum he thinks, and he started to draw the models as they walked down the... Read More
On Tuesday night the second season of The City premiered on MTV. I’ve been stewing over the new episode since it aired, and I’m not sure why I still watch a show that never fails to frustrate me.
