Known for her sweet tooth and dubbed by many as the “Candy Queen,” Dylan Lauren is the owner and CEO of the sweets empire Dylan’s Candy Bar, which has its headquarters in New York City. The self-proclaimed “largest candy store in the world” boasts 15,000 square feet of floor space and contains an ice cream cafe, a party room that hosts activities for kids of all ages, a cocktail bar, and every imaginable candy, including a nostalgia section that contains candy bars inspired by Warhol and Americana pop art.

Dylan’s Candy Bar has 28 locations worldwide, including in The Bahamas, Los Angeles, and Lauren’s personal favorite, Hawaii. Her products can be found in W Hotels, Four Seasons Hotels, Neiman Marcus, and various airports across the country. The store has cultivated an impressive celebrity following, with visits from Michelle Obama, Oprah Winfrey, and Gayle King.

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Directly inspired by watching “Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory” at age six, Lauren's desire to merge fashion, art, and pop culture to elevate her store into a candy museum was her creative vision from the beginning.

“To me, it’s like art, so my passion for candy has evolved from loving eating it to looking at it to collecting it because of the packaging and the colors, sort of making my own art out of candy, making mosaics out of gumballs or jelly beans or decoupaging with candy wrappers,” she said in an interview with Forbes magazine.

Dylan Lauren is the only daughter of fashion icon Ralph Lauren and photographer, author, and artist Ricky Lauren. She received her education from Duke University, where she studied art history. Despite being born into a well-established family, Lauren knew from a young age that she wanted to forge her own path. When she was 16, her father wanted to name a perfume “Dylan,” but Lauren told him she needed to reserve her name for when she built her own brand.

In addition to her candy empire, Lauren also authored the book “Dylan’s Candy Bar: Unwrap Your Sweet Life.” She is an avid animal lover and in 2015 launched Dylan’s Candy BarN, which helps animals in need find homes and supports animal welfare organizations.