ML - Michigan Avenue

2015 - Issue 3 - May/June

Michigan Avenue - Niche Media - Michigan Avenue magazine is a luxury lifestyle magazine centered around Chicago’s finest people, events, fashion, health & beauty, fine dining & more!

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Dylan's Candy Bar into such an iconic place, and it really does feel like Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory. I know that was your initial inspiration, but what did you love most about that film? DL: I loved the idea of living in a candy land. When he first opens the gates, and you see big gum balls, the chocolate river, the gummy bear trees, big marshmallows infused in the mushrooms, lemonade f lowers.... Everything's edible and fantastical—this was wild for me to imagine. As a kid, I always loved candy, but to think someone's behind the scenes inventing all of this interesting stuff, I just loved that. OM: We all have different tastes, but candy is something that makes everybody around the world really happy and excited. What do you think makes it universally appealing? DL: When kids get their first allowance, they buy candy with it; that's the most affordable treat. The colors of candy are primary colors that kids first see when they're young, but I also think that sugar has a serotonin rush that makes you feel like a kid again, and the smells and taste of candy make people nostalgic and remind them of happy times. It really ignites all the senses; for me, it's the colors, the shapes, the textures…. There are so many shapes in candy that they're like little art objects—they're fun to play with. OM: You talk about kids using their first allowance to buy candy—did you get an allowance growing up? DL: [Laughs] I had the tooth fairy! OM: Did you use that money to buy candy? DL: Yeah! I used to save up for Bazooka. It was five cents, and I collected all the comics and used to send away for the prizes.... I must have chewed so much gum as a kid. [Laughs] OM: And you are always chewing gum still! DL: Yes, you're right! [Laughs] I'm really into little red gum balls now. OM: You have said that your goal was to merge fashion, art, and pop culture. How would you describe Dylan's Candy Bar's aesthetic? DL: We merged all three into a curated museum of candy. When we buy for the store, we're curating so that each piece really shows the packaging. I want things that are unique and not just like what you'd see in the deli or at Duane Reade. We buy things that look like art, or they're stylish, and then we also keep up with pop culture, whether it's a holiday or Fashion Week. We've had dresses made out of candy, we've had artists make mosaics using candy, and we also sell candy lifestyle products like pajamas, scented perfumes, and jewelry. OM: Growing up in your family, where fashion's so important, did that inf luence you and your business? DL: I think the key thing was watching my dad turn a tie into a lifestyle brand with different offshoots from fragrance to home furnishings and clothing. I wanted to eat the clothing I would watch my dad design. Just loving color and coming from a family where everyone's more in the arts, it allowed me to say, "It's OK to be an entrepreneur and be in the arts," versus some families where there's the doctor and the lawyer. OM: It basically gave you wings, not feeling like you have to go this one way. DL: Totally, and my dad really got the idea of having a retail-entertainment store that he filled with his brands, versus a generic candy store, so he understood the vision. "The taste of candy makes people nostalgic and reminds them of happy times. It really ignites all the senses [with] the colors, the shapes, and the textures."

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