‘Laguna Beach,’ ‘Hills’ star Lauren Conrad signs books, charms fans in Winter Park

Lauren Conrad does not disappoint her Central Florida fans. The star of MTV’s reality shows Laguna Beach and The Hills is at Borders Books in Winter Park this evening, signing copies of her novel Sweet Little Lies, the second in her L.A. Sweet series.
Dressed in a chic charcoal-gray jacket, tailored short-shorts and black pumps with towering heels, her short nails painted wine-red, the diminutive star enters with little fanfare, takes a seat at a small table on a raised platform, and reaches for a pen.
I expect the 450-or-so fans to errupt in applause, cheers and whistles. Instead, they greet Conrad’s arrival with a kind of awed silence. Then a murmur of excitement ripples down the long, long line snaking among the bookshelves.
“It’s really her,” breathes a young woman in skinny jeans and boyfriend sweater standing behind me, her cell-phone camera trained on Conrad.
And so the signing begins. With a smile, a comment and a quiet, “Thank you,” the 24-year-old author signs books for the fans, mostly young women in their early 20s, who line up for more than two hours for about 30 seconds of the actor/writer/designer’s time.
“I love your show, Lauren.” “I’ve watched every show, Lauren.” “I’m wearing your sweater, Lauren.” (Conrad designs the popular LC Lauren Conrad junior clothing line sold exclusively at Kohl’s.”
At the front of the line are Emma Reynolds, 20, a sophomore at Valencia Community College, and a couple chuckling over the fact they are the “seniors” in the crowd: Brian Church, 38, and Lindsay Baldwin, 32.
“Brian loves Lauren,” explains Lindsay. “She’s stunning,” he says.
Emma says she is “an absolute fan.” “I’ve watched her since Laguna Beach and all through The Hills. She’s a role model — sweet, kind, genuine.”
Farther down the line is a group of four friends. Why are they here? Their responses come in a babble: “Lauren is an inspiration to our generation.” “She has such great style.” “She’s someone our generation can relate to.”
We’ve watched her grow up on TV. When she was in Laguna, we were in Seminole High School,” says Hema Madhanagopal, 22, a recent graduate of the University of South Florida with a degree in communications. “She’s inspired me to apply to fashion school.”
“Role-model” comes up a lot, talking to the fans waiting for their moment with their idol.
“She’s such a positive role model,” says Kristen La Crosse, a music major at Seminole State College. “She has such style, so much personality. She is so career-driven,”supply Kristen’s friends.
A couple of guys have a slightly different take. “Look at her. She’s gorgeous,” says a fan who offers only his first name, Josh. The comment prompts a “Right on!” from his buddy, Rob.
They haven’t read her book, they admit. And they probably won’t. But they weren’t going to miss the opportunity to see the lovely Lauren in person.
For Jen Jacobs, 21, a UCf grad planning a career in event management, Conrad is a “style icon.”
“ Her wardrobe on the show always impressed me. She always looks good. See,” says Jacobs. “I’m wering her signature red lipstick.”
Up front, Lauren is still at it, signing, smiling, says sweet nothings. And the cameras click and flash, flash and click. Mine, too. See:
`orlandosentinel.com via tfs