Lauren Conrad is a reality show success story: she's been able to parlay the fame she first achieved as a Laguna Beach high school student into the kind of life she always wanted.

Rather than stay in the dramatic world of tabloid culture like some of her former compatriots, Conrad has made herself as a fashion designer and writer of the Fame Game series, about a group of young women attempting to make their way in today's celebrity culture. Naturally, she's based the book on her own personal experiences.

"I only ever got to tell half my story," she told the Marie Claire July issue about her time on the shows Laguna Beach: The Real Orange County and its sequel, The Hills, and about her motivation as a writer.

"People are very quick to judge these days, especially behind the anonymity of a screen name. It's very easy to say, 'I hate her, I hate what she wore, she seems mean.' But you're only seeing a small fraction of her life."

Conrad's story, or at least some edited portions of it, have been on display for years, but there was another part to that, a part that detailed how she handled the good fortune she was given. When approached for Laguna Beach, she and her family considered the reality TV route as a means to bolster her name, not just for simple fame, but for her intended future career as an entrepreneur.

"Lauren wasn't a great student -- she wasn't that interested," said Conrad architect father, Jim.

"We figured out along the way that she was an artist and her real love was fashion."

Conrad attended Los Angeles' Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising -- once part of her plot line on The Hills -- and now has two different design lines of her own: LC Lauren Conrad, produced by and sold at national department store Kohl's, and the more contemporary Paper Crown.

As for her next project, she said she will be working with her friend Hannah Taylor Skvarla, an advocate with Human Rights Watch, on an e-commerce site, selling artisanal wares by women all over the world.

Conrad said she wanted to use her own good fortune to help bring hope and advancement possibilities to others.

"Hannah is good about educating me about not just the beautiful places we go to but also the issues people there face," she stated. "I think when you've been fortunate, you have a moral obligation to do things for others."

Conrad has also found success in love, too. She raved additionally to the magazine about her relationship with William Tell, formerly a guitar player with the rock band Something Corporate. Tell is also an aspiring lawyer, and Conrad said that their similar past experiences in the spotlight help them relate to each other.

"He also has experience in the entertainment industry, so he understands a lot of things that people don't always get," Conrad said of her beau.

"He is very good for me because we have a lot in common as far as where we grew up. It's the first time I'm with someone and I'm not explaining things."

As for any remaining desire go back to the reality television life, Conrad insisted it's all over and that suites her fine.

"It feels done for me," she said. "I'm OK with it being done."

The July issue of Marie Claire hits stores on Jun. 18.

Tags
Lauren Conrad