Lifestyle Style Lauren Bushnell's Next Step After Ben Higgins Breakup: Moving Back to California to Pursue Fashion! The former flight attendant, 27, is teaming up with the beloved San Diego store Van De Vort to model its new summer collection — and PeopleStyle has the exclusive first look By Sharon Kanter Published on May 17, 2017 02:27 PM Share Tweet Pin Email Séréna Lutton for Van De Vort Lauren Bushnell may have just ended her engagement with her Bachelor beau Ben Higgins, but she’s wasting no time moving on to something else she loves — fashion. First up for the former flight attendant? The 27-year-old is teaming up with the beloved San Diego store Van De Vort to model its new summer collection — and PeopleStyle has the exclusive first look. “It’s something new to me, and I really enjoy doing it,” Bushnell tells PeopleStyle of her official modeling debut. “I feel so lucky to have these opportunities coming my way.” But first, she’s heading home: Bushnell says that she’s packing up her Denver house with Higgins and heading back to her California roots. “I’m moving back to SoCal,” she tells us exclusively. “That’s where my life was before the show — my friends, my siblings. I love the beach, the healthy lifestyle and the energy that Los Angeles has to offer. I’m definitely a SoCal girl at heart!” RELATED VIDEO: The Real Story Behind Ben Higgins and Lauren Bushnell’s Split Fittingly enough, her debut modeling shoot for Van De Vort embodies her Cali-girl mindset — the exact inspiration was “Summer in Southern California” — and took place at La Quinta Resort & Club in the Coachella Valley. Her partnership with Van De Vort was a natural fit for Bushnell, as she’s been a fan of the store for a long time. She’s also worked on styling her looks with owner Andrea Van De Vort, many of which she posts on her much-followed Instagram account to her over 1.4 million followers. Séréna Lutton for Van De Vort “I have shopped at Van De Vort for awhile, even before my time on The Bachelor,” she says. “Their styles are on trend and easy to wear. Andrea, who is a fantastic stylist, and I became fast friends. She helps me put together pieces for brunch with friends or award shows and special appearances.” For the shoot, Bushnell modeled everything from dresses to shorts to tie-front tops, the latter of which happens to be her favorite. “I love the color and the cut was super flattering,” she says of the $119 Olsen Top in Plain Khaki. And Bushnell wasn’t alone. Her best friend Amanda Stanton, who was also on Bushnell’s season of The Bachelor going after Higgins’s heart, posed along with her. “I loved being able to shoot with my bestie, and the whole VDV team,” Stanton tells PeopleStyle. “The location was amazing, too!” Séréna Lutton for Van De Vort So, how did these two get the gig? “The girls have been longtime shoppers at Van De Vort and I have always loved their personalities and style,” store owner Andrea Van De Vort tells PeopleStyle. “In my opinion, they were both the best dressed on their season on The Bachelor when they were both vying for Ben’s attention. It was natural for me to reach out to Lauren and Amanda for this shoot because they wear our clothes perfectly already. When Lauren and I became friends, and then Amanda and she became such good friends, it made sense to shoot them together since they were so on brand with Van De Vort.” And this is just the start of Bushnell’s foray into the fashion world: “I would love to get even better [at modeling] with some real training to continue doing fun lookbook shoots like this one,” she says. “It’s hard to call it work when you’re getting to dress up in cute clothes, get your hair and makeup done and get to go to fun locations with a group of inspiring women who are involved in the shoot.” Though, she has her sights set on bigger things, too: “I would love to start my own clothing line,” she says. We’ll keep our eyes peeled. Scroll down for some of the highlights from the shoot, which was photographed by Séréna Lutton. (The pieces they’re modeling are all available on shopvandevort.com.) The Duck Dive Bottoms by Prey Swim“It is so different that anything I had seen before,” says Bushnell of the $120 style. “The style is fashion forward but the cut is still sexy and flattering on my body.” Séréna Lutton for Van De Vort The San Blas Dress by Faithfull the BrandThis tie-strap dress is $159. “Van De Vort carries all my favorite labels,” says Bushnell. Séréna Lutton for Van De Vort The Knotted Tyler Suit by Minimale Animale“Amanda and I both looked on YouTube for research on ‘How to Pose in a Swimsuit,'” Bushnell jokes of how she got the confidence to pose in this $220 one-piece style. “Once we started shooting, Andrea really encouraged us to be confident in our own skin and I think that was key and shows in our photos.” Séréna Lutton for Van De Vort The Love Story Slip by Free PeopleVan De Vort, who styled the shoot with the help of her assistant Jenn Moore, layered a tank under this $138 dress. Séréna Lutton for Van De Vort The Olsen Top by Faithfull the Brand“I eat healthy and work out with a trainer and that gives me confidence in myself and in my own skin,” says Bushnell. (Below, showing off the $119 Olsen top.) Séréna Lutton for Van De Vort The Stinson Woven Top by Amuse“It also doesn’t hurt to have your best friend doing it with you while a professional like Andrea coached us along the way,” says Bushnell (shown modeling the $84 Stinson top below). “We really had such a fun day of dress up and posing.” Séréna Lutton for Van De Vort Perry Shirt Dress by Faithfull the Brand“My favorite thing about Shop Van De Vort is that it captures the California-boho, effortlessly chic vibe so well,” says Stanton (shown below in a $159 men’s shirt-inspired shirt dress). “The collection is so curated that it’s hard not to want everything!” Séréna Lutton for Van De Vort Rowayton Dress by Van De Vort“I love that a lot of ’80s and ’90s styles are being integrated into today’s trends,” says Stanton (below showing off a $48 dress by the shop owner Andrea Van De Vort). Séréna Lutton for Van De Vort Modern Love Off-Shoulder Dress by For Love and Lemons“Anyone who knows me knows that I’m obsessed with off-the-shoulder anything, which is why this dress was one of my favorites,” says Stanton of the $252 pink design. “I also love that it’s a muted, rosy pink. It’s one of my favorite colors for spring and summer.” Séréna Lutton for Van De Vort Striped Sweater“My go-to summer look will be a lot of denim cutoffs or cropped denim jeans and flowy, boho tops,” says Stanton (below modeling a striped sweater, not yet available). “I’m also obsessed with matching tops and bottoms or matching sets. They make life so much easier! Summer should be all about relaxing.” Séréna Lutton for Van De Vort Tell us: What do you think of Lauren Bushnell and Amanda Stanton’s modeling? Let us know in the comments below!