Kristin Cavallari Promotes Shoe Line for Chinese Laundry

Kristin Cavallari Promotes Shoe Line for Chinese Laundry at Von Maur at Yorktown Mall in Lombard, Illinois
February 9, 2013

Former reality-TV star—and she means it, former reality-TV star—Kristin Cavallari appeared at Von Maur last Saturday afternoon to promote her new shoe line, a capsule footwear collection entitled Kristin Cavallari for Chinese Laundry.

She arrived around 2:30 p.m. to hordes of screaming fans—at least two of them weeping with excitement. At her side was baby-daddy, Chicago Bears QB Jay Cutler, who reportedly proposed to her by phone text. How romantic.

Want your Jay-Cav TV?
Since pairing in 2010, the couple’s life, from “blindsided” breakups to eventual reconciliation in 2011, has inspired tabloid fodder.

What can I say: The story of hot athletes and their gorgeous girlfriends (or rock stars with sick arm candy, for that matter) never gets old. However, Cavallari doesn’t plan to extend that reality into another TV series. “We’ve been offered shows about our wedding and our relationship, but we’ve turned everything down,” she assured.

Raised in Barrington, the Denver, Colorado, native splits her time between homes in L.A. and Chicago but told Windy City Times she’d like to eventually move her growing family to Nashville.

Mall brats a tweeting
“You don’t understand, we’re like so excited!” said 17-year-old Katelyn van Buskirk, standing alongside her friend Emma Cardinale, also 17. Upon arriving an hour before the mall’s open, the pair tweeted, “First in line at von maur to see @KristinCav!!!!”

To their astonishment Cavallari tweeted back “like two seconds later!” Emma squealed.

“Aw! thats awesome!” Kristin wrote, re-tweeting their message to her one-million-plus followers.

“We were like both jumping up and down,” Katelyn added.

Although fans weren’t required to purchase any shoes in order to meet Kristin, the girls already anticipated the pairs of shoes they’d buy once the meet and greet ended. While Emma picked up a snazzy pair of lime-green, studded flats, Katelyn eyed a killer pair of lilac-suede pumps.

The girls broke into tears upon finally meeting Cavallari. “Aw, don’t cry,” she gushed, poking out her bottom lip then drawing them in for a group hug. Their eyes now welling even more, the two could hardly contain their tears as Cavallari snuggled them for a photo.

Kristin’s soft demeanor, surprisingly, belies the bitch she recently revealed the producers forced her to portray on The Hills. Sporting well-toned, bare arms, form-fitting leather pants, and a pair of her black Copertina d’orsay pumps, Kristin’s tiny frame (size 25 pants) certainly doesn’t bear the hallmarks of one who just gave birth six months ago.

If you’re like me, you’ve lost count on the number of celebrities who’ve launched clothing, shoe and jewelry lines. Madonna, Jessica Simpson, and, of course, Gwen Stefani among them. Still Kristin has braved the ever-growing but often homogenous fray. She designed 11 pairs of shoes that hit stores nationwide in January 2013—fulfilling a dream of hers since age 19.

Cavallari has also designed a jewelry capsule collection for GLAMboutique.com.

Get the look
“I wanted to design a collection that really represents my style, what I really love and feel excited about,” she stated.

What’s more, she said, “You’ll really get great use out of them because they’re everyday shoes. There’s a shoe for everybody. I’ve got a couple flats [which I designed]. Being a new mom, I’ve been wearing more of because it’s not realistic wearing heels all day carrying [my son] Camden around. But then there are also pumps you’ll wear forever because they’re timeless.”

Even better is that they’re more affordable than the average red-carpet fare. With prices ranging from $89.95 to $149.95, some styles like the sparkly Liberta pumps are trendy enough to also rock the catwalk. Unlike Brian Atwood and YSL, which she also enjoys wearing, “What I love about my line is that you can look great at a great price. You don’t have to spend $900 like you would on Louboutins.”

Coincidentally, Kristin also follows the ranks of ex-Laguna Beach cast mate, Lauren Conrad, and former The Hills cast member Whitney Port, Each have launched clothing lines. Unlike JLo, who was criticized for not wearing her own designs, on the red carpet or otherwise, Kristin stands behind and on her brand. “I wouldn’t put my name on it if I didn’t like it. If I like it, I’m going to wear it, so that’s a no-brainer,” she scoffed. “I rock my stuff nonstop!” And she’s got the pictures to prove it.

Cindy Barrymore, Photographer and 24/7 Content Contributor