LC's line draws crowd with new clothing ensembles

By: Danielle Schivek

Posted: 11/18/08

The city of Boston, much like New York, hides quirky little alleyways filled with über-chic vintage shops and trendy cafés off the long, fabulous boulevards of high-end boutiques and exclusive eateries. Boylston Place, a tiny cobblestoned path that branches off of Boylston St. and is located right off Newbury could have easily been missed on the night of Saturday, Oct. 15 were it not for the 300 girls waiting on the sidewalk in the pouring rain. The Estate, a Boston lounge usually home to those twentysomething college students looking for a good time on their Saturday night, was filled to the point of claustrophobia with a line outside that stretched around the corner. As general admission ticket holders weren't allowed in until over a half-hour later than expected, the once-visible fifteen-foot runway was swallowed up by a sea of blonde hair and belted American Apparel dresses. "Sweatfest!" could be heard from a group of girls huddled in VIP, giggling and dressed to the nines. They sipped on their amaretto sours in anticipation of the arrival of their idol, none other than reality-TV-star-cum-fashion-designer Lauren "LC" Conrad of MTV's The Hills.

The Lauren Conrad Collection, which premiered over a year ago, has drawn harsh criticisms from the fashion scene, but the crowd attending Saturday night's event-presumably all fans of Conrad-was by far a much more supportive bunch. However, as it was still a fashion event, chitchat and small talk was only natural and Andrea, 25, who came with her roommates, shared a thought or two in between drink orders: "A cotton dress for $200 is overpriced just because of the name that's on it? Come on. But I mean I would totally buy it, just because it's a Lauren Conrad dress; I totally would."

Andrea was quickly hushed by the sound of screams as the runway lights burned brightly and LC waved from the VIP balcony to her loyal minions. Alas, she quickly became bothered by the camera flashes and huddled down behind the overhang while snapping some pics herself with her Blackberry (photographs that would undoubtedly be used later as evidence of her ability to draw a crowd).

Spectators and models alike were thrilled to even be in Conrad's presence. Kimberly Landry, 20, of Northeastern University, was one of ten girls selected to model for the night's event, and stated that "wearing [LC's] clothing line tonight was really an honor." I cannot stress enough how badly Lauren Bender, a senior at Boston College, wanted to make it clear that the Lauren Conrad Collection was "already on my Christmas list!"

But what about the girls who aren't as fortunate as Ms. Bender and won't be getting Christmas presents from mom and pop? Danielle DeSanty, another model and pre-med senior at Northeastern University, said that even with two full-time jobs, she wasn't sure if she could really afford the line. "Once I save up, maybe. I definitely can't afford it right now." Fellow model Kimberly, though, was quick to reassure her, saying "I mean it's a matter of money, and we're college students!"

As for Lauren Conrad, who is getting rich off her name via $200 cotton dresses-well, finally it seems that LC and Heidi have something in common again.