Lauren Conrad Dishes on Fashion Line

The Hills are alive ... with the sound of cash registers going cha-ching. Lauren Conrad has debuted her own fashion and bag lines! Take that, Heidi!

"I'm serious about my lines and I do them as a designer and not as someone on a reality show. I wanted to create a brand that will last much longer than my TV series," says Lauren Conrad calling from her home in (where else) the Hills.

The Hills star's custom goods will be available online - only at lpcollection.com and shoplaurenconrad.com. The Chicago Sun-Times talked to Lauren Conrad a little bit this week about her clothing line and her future career plans...

CST: Was designing clothes and bags a dream of yours for a long time?

LC: I've always wanted to design clothes and then the bags came to me as another opportunity. I've always loved Linea bags so it was a great fit and they allowed me to do my own twist on it. As for the bags, I like purses with a more simple design. Now there are a lot of bags with tons of hardware on them. Mine have a simple chain. I wanted the bags to be classic because when I spend money on a bag I want to use it for as many seasons as possible.

Lauren Conrad makes a pretty designer. Er, makes pretty designs!

CST: Your bags aren't as expensive as some of the lines out there.

LC: The biggest criticism I got at first was that I wasn't making my line affordable to fans. That's one of my goals.

CST: Lauren, love the tote bag because it gives you a lot of room.

LC: When I designed a tote bag I wanted it big enough to fit magazines into it. I'm always traveling, plus I'm a student. You need a lot of room in those bags. Plus my bag has a clip so you can make it look smaller."

CST: Define your own style when you're not filming The Hills.

LC: I like to be comfortable in my clothes. I love the empire cut when it comes to shirts and dresses. It's also something that's great to wear if you don't have a perfect body. Who needs tight stuff? I think most women are happy with a little give in their clothes. What I wear depends on my mood. I do love wearing dresses. They're just easier. I love, love, love 3.1. Phillip Lim. He does these really feminine details on his clothing and each piece of really special.

Follow the link to continue reading the Sun-Times' interview with LC ...