Lauren Conrad and William Tell are happy homebodies! In the March issue of Lucky, the 26-year-old fashion designer and reality star opens up about her relaxed relationship with the University of Southern California law student — and even hints she’s ready to start a family.
Though the former Hills heroine used to spend her nights partying at Hollywood hotspots like Les Deux with then-boyfriends Jason Wahler and Kyle Howard, Conrad and the ex-Something Corporate rocker are more low-key. “Honestly, he studies all weekend and I’ve been working,” Conrad says of Tell, whom she began dating on Valentine’s Day in 2012. “I’m renovating a condo, so I’ve been spending my weekends shopping for home stuff at flea markets.”
Tell’s laid-back style suits the Paper Crown designer in more ways than one. “He’s just a jeans and T-shirt guy, which I like,” Conrad says of her 32-year-old beau’s complementary style. “[But] sometimes I’ll buy him clothes and sneak them into his drawer!”
Conrad and Tell are in it for the long haul, but the two are taking their relationship one step at a time. “I want kids, but not in the immediate future,” she explains. “All of my friends in their early 30s who just started having kids say, ‘Give it a few years.'”
For now, the L.A. Candy author is focused on her career. “The first book I pitched to HarperCollins was a dating book and they did not want it, but I would love to write one,” says the New York Times‘ bestselling author. Conrad also plans to expand her design empire: “A friend from high school recently reminded me my goal was to own a bridal boutique! I’d love to design bridal dresses.”
Conrad — who wasn’t allowed to watch MTV until she was 16! — admits that being on TV “did not help” her reputation as a fashion designer. “It was difficult to be taken seriously. But I think the fact that I went to school to study fashion and worked in the industry helped me,” she tells Lucky. “I think it’s a good thing to feel like you have to prove something, because you’re always going to have to work a little bit harder.”
The Laguna Beach alum says working in fashion and the entertainment industry has forced her to develop a thick skin. “At the end of the day it’s going to hurt your feelings if someone says something mean about you, but I’ve learned to take a step back and ask myself if it’s really going to affect me, if this person who I’m never going to know or meet doesn’t like me,” Conrad says. “And it doesn’t.”
