YumSugar

The Sweet Scoop On Dylan Lauren, Candy Connoisseur

YumSugar — Thu, 23 Apr 2009 09:15:10 -0700

Earlier this week, candy collector Dylan Lauren - the fashionable founder of Dylan's Candy Bar and daughter of designer Ralph Lauren - offered some of her favorite ideas for making weddings a sweet occasion. We caught up with Lauren in person while she was in town at Neiman Marcus promoting her Barbie 50th Anniversary candy line. The candy entrepreneur took some time out of la dolce vita to talk to us about her favorite guilty pleasure and offer more suggestions for bringing candy into the party mix. Find out what they are when you read more.

YumSugar: How did your Barbie candy line come about?
Dylan Lauren: I was approached by Mattel to celebrate Barbie's 50th birthday, since we have the same audience: women ages five to 80, who collect Barbie and collect candy. Mattel had personified Barbie, and decided that she likes to shop at Dylan's Candy Bar.

YS: You've traveled a lot. Do you have favorite candies from other countries?
DL: Actually, in November and December, we'll be featuring candies from around the world: Clodhoppers from Canada, and Australian licorice, which is really chewy, and Kinder and Kinder eggs.

Foreign candy looks pretty, but it doesn't taste as good to me - for example, Japanese candy looks pretty but I don't like the way it tastes. I like Swedish Fish, gumballs, Cadbury Creme Eggs, and strawberry licorice laces. I don't like fancy stuff - I like basic basics.

YS: You've said that you're a visual person. How would you use candy as decoration when hosting and entertaining?
DL: Color-coordinate your house with candy. Now that it's Spring, pastels would be a great color scheme. You can also focus on shapes; there's a candy for everything. Our East Hampton candy store is full of ocean-themed candy. We recently did a fashion party where we featured chocolate high heels. Candy crafts - like making candy jewelry or using candy molds - are great activities, too.

YS: What about candy arrangements?
DL: I love to have a vase of jelly beans that have been layered with different rainbow colors, topped off with candy flowers, or lollipops of different sizes. They make great centerpieces!

Do you have any gift recommendations for Mother's Day?
DL: Barbie is mother-daughter themed, and such a collector's item. I also have my Re-Treat bath and body line. Or chocolate tulips and chocolate butterflies.

YS: What's next for you?
DL: I'm coming out with a candy book in the Summer of 2010. It's about celebrating with candy for all occasions.

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Dylan Lauren's Sweet Tips For Your Wedding

YumSugar — Mon, 20 Apr 2009 15:00:01 -0700

If you want your wedding to be a grand production but don't have the budget, remember that tiny flourishes like thoughtful candy will make the moment just as delightful. We employed the help of Dylan Lauren, daughter of Ralph Lauren and owner of Dylan's Candy Bar, a dessert outpost with locations in New York, Houston, and Florida. "We do a lot of candy favors for weddings," Lauren says. To see her pointers for making your wedding a sweet success, read more.

Include jordan almonds. In Italy, jordan almonds are popular because their egg shape symbolizes fertility and life.
Integrate silver and white candies. For a wedding theme, incorporate white chocolate roses or white petits fours.
Match candy to the bridesmaids' dresses. Reinforce your wedding's color scheme in a unique way by matching candy colors to the hues of the wedding party.
Customize favors. Design custom candy bar wrappers to announce your marriage, or enchant guests with customized lollipops.

Have you seen any other creative uses of candy in weddings past? If so, share them with us below!

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Sweet Expansion at Dylan's Candy Bar

partysugar — Fri, 31 Oct 2008 05:30:57 -0700

Just in time for Halloween, Dylan's Candy Bar in New York City has expanded. An additional 5,000 square feet have been added, making it the largest candy store in the world. Opened in September 2001 by Dylan Lauren, daughter of fashion icon Ralph, the store sells more than 5,000 varieties of candy - from bulk chocolate treats and gummy candies to 21 different colors of M&Ms and novelty sweets such as three-foot-tall lollipops and candy mobile phones. A real-life Candyland, Dylan's is a destination for kids and adults alike with its candy-themed clothing and jewelry, a private party room, and a soda shop. To celebrate the store's expansion, Dylan's hosted a grand reopening party earlier this week that brought out the child in all of its attendees, including yours truly! Here's my behind-the-scenes look at the fiesta.

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Dylan's Candy Bar

harry — Wed, 18 Jul 2007 10:24:00 -0700