This isn’t a biography on Kristin Cavallari. This isn’t the past. This is a look into a bright future of a young businesswoman whose thoughts, dreams, aspirations and ideals capture a generation.
Kristin Cavallari is no stranger to scandal, drama or the cameras (remember Superbowl XLIV?) Having been (allegedly) linked to many of Hollywood’s bad boys, including John Mayer, Adam Levine and the infamous, man-about-town, Brody Jenner, Cavallari has a certain reputation of her own. Her roles on reality shows “Laguna Beach” and “The Hills” have kept her in the spotlight; a favorite of the paparazzi- but not because she is a train wreck. Has she created this reputation for herself, or is the network that rocketed her to fame, MTV, to blame?
The powerhouse network created a generation of BBM-ers and abbreviators, so couldn’t they have contrived Kristin’s “alter ego” into something of a bitch just to gain ratings? With a network that pumps out reality show after reality show, signs point to “yes.”
People forget “Laguna Beach” sometimes, the very show that launched her career, and don’t remember Lauren Conrad’s interaction with Kristin’s boyfriend of the time, Stephen Colletti. Wouldn’t you be pissed if someone were hanging on your significant other? Don’t lie to yourself. You would be just as angry.
Kristin said, “To see the show [Laguna], and to see how I was portrayed; just everything with Stephen at the time, my boyfriend, and seeing him with Lauren and what they [MTV] had him do, really upset me. So I was kind of hurt from the whole thing.”
“It was all a learning process,” Cavallari said. She recognizes the fact that the entertainment business is just that: a business. With “The Hills” having wrapped up its final season (with an ending that shocked us all), she will need another job. As much as she might have played a character – a branch of her true self – on the “docu-soap” as Cavallari calls it, she knows just what she has to do in order to satisfy her own personal goals.
“Going back to ‘The Hills,’ I knew exactly what to expect. I looked at it as more of my job.” No longer will she let the cameras control her. She has the power now. Someone once said, “Life is all a game, and how well you do depends on how well you play.” Kristin Cavallari can certainly play, and play well.
Whether she is playing “Kristin” or living “Kristin,” the theme is the same: she is a businesswoman. So much has changed since the magic of editing portrayed her as the dark angel of Laguna Beach. “Laguna Beach was kind of difficult for me, just because MTV came to our high school and basically just found all of us and kind of stirred up our lives; kind of messed up our lives in a way.” Regret? You decide.
Growth was imminent, and after signing a deal with MTV once more to replace obnoxiously sweet Lauren Conrad, it was time for Cavallari to show us what she was really made of.
Through her progression from both of the shows, she grew as a person, learning the ins and outs of the “real world.” She said, “I would be very reluctant to put a serious relationship on the show.” Does anyone remember what the final scene of “The Hills” was? How quickly we can forget…
It’s not just about relationships; it’s about life, friendship and growing up. “You have to learn how to have a thick skin, and just ignore all the negative things people say.” When asking her to elaborate and discuss what she has learned through her cast mates, the reality TV process, and what she would tell aspiring reality TV stars, Kristin quite bluntly said, “Have two lives…We have the show life and we have our real life.”
Had she not been scouted for Laguna Beach in high school, she said she would have gone to Emerson in Boston to focus on broadcast journalism, trying to then eventually, “work my way into the entertainment business, the hosting route.” Though an interesting answer, there had to be more to her than that. It is certainly intriguing that she didn’t just say, “I would have been an actress,” though in the end she does want to be very successful at it. Clearly, she has the look; the girl can’t take a bad picture.
Every beautiful, sexy blonde in LA claims to be an actress or a model. Sadly, they are all numbers and lose their credibility as soon as they open their mouths. The thing about Kristin is she is not like everyone else. She is not just a pretty face; she’s more than a number. Her uniqueness and forward personality is a flickering flame of celebrity fascination, and we are the eager moths. She stands out from the crowd of Hollywood hopefuls because she has substance. Kristin keeps us guessing by saying things like, “I really want to start producing.”
Though she is comfortable in front of the cameras, having been on reality shows and dabbled in acting over the years, she also wants to experience things from the other side of the lens. Currently, she is in the process of developing and producing three reality shows. Of course we all want to know what her vision will be, but Kristin said, “I can’t give away my secrets for behind the camera! It’s just like ‘The Hills’- no one really knows how it’s filmed and I’m not about to give away the secret!”
Producing is an entirely different beast than acting. The developing process alone could potentially take more time than filming her scenes for “The Hills”. It was obvious she was up for the challenge, because again, she is working on three shows, not just one. As a first-time producer, this will be yet another facet of the industry for her to learn about.
Though she was hard-pressed to give the skinny on all she had in the works, she did say that two of the shows are very Hills-esque, giving the audience, “all that good stuff- relationships and drama.” The other reality show Kristin is working on pertains to fashion. It should be interesting to see what she can do with these shows, and if they will have success similar to that of “The Hills.”
Again, don’t lie to yourselves. We will be waiting and watching. Most of America is unhealthily addicted to reality drama. Everything in excess, in my opinion. Yes, we want to know who is forming alliances on Survivor, who got kicked off American Idol, what Paul Sr. was yelling at Mikey for in Orange County Choppers and even what former Hills star, Whitney Port, is doing (or pretending to do) in New York City.
But, it’s not all “lights, camera, action” with Cavallari. There is another side to her. She has always been known for her killer style, so she is taking a big leap into fashion.
“I am obsessed with Balmain and then Alexander Wang. Those are my two obsessions right now.” Perhaps we have the new face of Wang’s collection? She assured us that wasn’t the case, but would certainly be honored if that ever came true.
An obvious lover of the dressy-chic trend, she also incorporates class and sophistication into her looks. It doesn’t take Tyra Banks telling you Kristin looks fierce to know she really has a handle on controlling her look and vibe. What makes her look finished and put together whether she is being annoyingly photographed by paparazzi or killing the red carpet you ask?
“Dress for your body. There are so many times where you can see a girl on a runway and it’s [the design] the cutest thing ever, but you know, if you’re not 5’10” and super skinny, half that stuff doesn’t look good on you. I’m really short, so I know that. You just have to dress for your body type and not what the latest trend is.”
She likes being girlie and flirty when it comes to her style and though she only uses a stylist for red carpet events, she recognizes when it’s time to call in the professionals. For every major red carpet event, she calls in the help of her stylists Sammy and Judy of The Kids, who have also dressed Paris Hilton, Kim Kardashian and The Pussycat Dolls.
However, when it came to the $4,700 nude chiffon shoulder dress from Zuhair Murad’s Ready to Wear collection for “The Hills” finale, that was all her. “I didn’t use a stylist for the finale dress, I just loved it and it fit me perfectly. I thought the nude color was nice for a warm summer night and it had some sparkle to dress it up.”
“My style inspiration is Kate Moss. I really like Sienna Miller as well,” she said and added that she thinks Nicole Richie and Kate Hudson are style icons. “Kate Hudson can do the boho-chic really well. I love her style but I don’t think it’s one I can necessarily pull off all the time.”
She gushed when it was time to discuss her favorite accessory. Her answer wasn’t just, “I love shoes!” Not only did she say she loves shoes, but she went a step further to say she is working on her own shoe line, set to launch in the spring. Though the line itself doesn’t have an official name, Kristin wants the main focus to be affordability. “Not all of my fans can afford a $900 pair of Louboutins.” Move over Jessica Simpson!
But don’t get her wrong, she loves the red-bottomed, high profile footwear and says, “My favorites are Christian Louboutin and YSL. I have a black pair of Sergio Rossi that I wear a lot and a pair of white YSL that are perfect for summer.” Sounds like we have an aspiring Carrie Bradshaw on our hands. Kristin laughed and said, “My closet is close but I have a little way to go before it’s as stocked as Carrie Bradshaw’s.”
If she has the money to throw at shoes, it was time to find out if THE Kristin Cavallari was the type of celebrity who just threw money at a cause, using her celebrity status to rally followers behind her. Nope. Cavallari takes off her Manolo’s and slips out of her designer duds, setting aside for the moment her celebrity status, and gets real. The girl likes to get her hands dirty.
Though she supports many causes, Kristin does a lot of work with the One Kid One World Organization- an organization that helps bring “academic and athletic programs” to children in other countries. Kristin was notably moved about the topic and her trip to El Salvador in January, where she helped to rebuild a school. For more information regarding what you can do to help One Kid One World, please visit www.onekidoneworld.org.
She struck a major chord; “It kind of puts everything into perspective, even over here [in the United States]. We just take education for granted and we don’t even really think twice about it. It’s just what we do. But for these kids, it’s a privilege to be able to go to school…I really enjoyed being a part of that.”
Reality TV personality. Actress. Producer. Philanthropist. Businesswoman. Entrepreneur. Kristin Cavallari is much more than imagined, and only time will tell what the future has in store for her. The rest, if you will, is still unwritten.
By: Dominic Janidas
