This holiday season, we invite you to step into a world of enchantment with our Holiday Candy Dress: The Dryad of the Enchanted Forest. Inspired by the mystical beauty of nature and brought to life with the sweetness of the season, this year’s dress is a celebration of creativity, community, and magic.
A Vision of Enchantment - Crafting the Magic
The concept for this year’s dress began with a simple yet captivating idea: to bring the spirit of a forest dryad to life. Drawing on imagery of woodland wonder, twinkling lights, and the natural beauty of the forest, we envisioned a dress that combines ethereal elegance with the whimsy of candy accents.
Turning this vision into reality took countless hours of dedication. Our talented team worked together to design and construct every detail of the dress, weaving together candy and creativity to create a masterpiece that truly embodies the spirit of the enchanted forest.
From Concept to Creation: Robyn Gross on Bringing
"The Dryad of the Enchanted Forest" to Life,
Tell me about this year’s edible dress creation! What inspired the design?
"We've been wanting to do something of a woodland nature for a while now this just seemed like a good year to get out of our normal realm and do something a little more whimsical."
Were there key elements you wanted to incorporate to bring the woodland theme to life?
"We knew we had to have mushrooms and we wanted something to look like tree bark, to really look like you were out in nature, luckily the peanut butter candy turned out to be a perfect solution."
How did you decide on specific edible materials to mimic those natural elements like bark, moss, and mushrooms?
"There's always a lot of trial and error when it comes to deciding what candy we should use, often it just depends on if it's something that we think will hold out for months at a time. We definitely tested out several types of taffy and other things to mimic bark, but they didn't hold their shape.. We then had to pivot and try something different. We just kept trying things until we found the perfect candy."
Are there any unique techniques you used to create the textures of bark or the look of forest floor elements?
"We did create moss out of angel food cake, which was new for us. We had to bake the cake, color it with food coloring, and then dehydrate it in order to keep its shape and structure, while also being able to hold up for long periods of time."
What were the biggest challenges in making this years dress?
"The biggest challenges [with this dress] would probably have to be the fact that we made her in multiple pieces. We unveiled her at the chocolate festival this year, so we made her skirt in multiple pieces to be able to transport her. Figuring out how to make it fit her, while also being able to take it apart and still be structurally sound, was a bit of a challenge"
How long did it take to complete this design, from brainstorming and sketching, to the final installation?
"We started brainstorming and playing with candy at beginning of August and we completed it just in time for the chocolate festival, which was November 2nd."
Were there any edible items that worked surprisingly well (or not at all!) for creating the forest-like textures and colors?
"The peanut butter bars were definitely a surprise. Once we broke them up a little bit, they looked exactly like bark! We also played with several types of taffy [that] we were trying to use to imitate birch bark, but taffy is so floppy anyways, the more you work with the softer it gets. It may LOOK structurally sound, but once you leave it for 24 hours it all just kind of puddles into nothing."
This years dress is absolutely stunning, do you have a favorite part of the dress?
"My favorite part of the dress would definitely have to be the mushroom elements. We used dried mangoes and they really give that Wood ear looking mushroom effect."
What do you find most rewarding about creating immersive holiday artwork like this?
"The most rewarding aspect is the reaction that we get from our customers and passersby. Some who know we do it, some who don't, it seems to really have this magical effect, not many things do these days."
As a new addition to our team, Skylar had the unique opportunity to work on the holiday installation dress for the first time:
What was it like working on your first edible dress display, was it what you expected?
"It was definitely interesting deciding what theme we were doing for the dress and it was very different than I thought it would be. I have never done something like that before and I didn't know how it would go, but it turned out really well so it was a great time."
What was the most exciting part of seeing the finished dress on display?
"Seeing the finished dress was amazing just noticing everyone's hard work that they put into it and the creativity that everyone had with working on it. It just came out really good and it was a really cool thing to see finished."
We couldn’t have asked for a better collaborator than Sharayah Doty, a local artist who joined us to bring the candy dress to life. Find out what it was like for her to work on this one-of-a-kind creation!
What was your initial reaction when you were asked to create this year’s candy dress?
"My initial reaction was surprise and excitement to be a part of the yearly candy dress. I’m always looking for new challenges and opportunities for creativity to get out of my norm and comfort zone. I felt honored knowing it’s usually never hired out but this time La De Da hired someone just for it, and it was me.
How did you approach designing and building the woodland nymph dress, especially as your first edible display?
"The design was already set and built when I came into the picture, but I enjoyed brainstorming with Crystal and Robyn about the specific details and candy we were going to use. It took a lot of trial and error and experimenting on small swatches to figure out the final design elements."
What were some of the most challenging aspects of working with candy and other edible materials?
"The most challenging thing was getting the candy to hold up .. some of the candy we wanted to use got scrapped because it would sag and fall off after 24 hours."
Did you experiment with any new techniques or creative methods during the process?
"Yes there was candy surgery involved where I would break candy up with tools in specific ways, not too much where the candy would just turn into powder, but just enough to create that natural, woodland, forest look"
Were there any parts of the dress that you’re particularly proud of or that turned out better than you imagined?
"The mushrooms and moss were exciting to me. I was eating dried mango one day and I had an “ah ha!” moment. I realized they were the perfect material for the turkey tail mushrooms that we were trying to figure out. The finishing touches of [adding] white dots on the red mushrooms made me giddy."
What was the most rewarding part of creating this unique piece of art?
"The most rewarding part was accomplishing something completely out of my normal wheelhouse. I’m not usually a detail oriented person in my art, I’m generally more intuitive and expressive with wider brushstrokes and flowy results, so It felt great knowing I can be detail oriented and more tedious in my work if I choose. I’m glad for this opportunity to expand me."
How did this experience compare to other projects you’ve worked on as an artist? Did you learn anything from this process, and how might it influence your future work?
"There was no comparison to my other works with this project which is why I was so excited to do it! I’ve never worked with fashion design or edible displays so it was a fun challenge. I learned I can do amazing things when collaborating with other artists with brilliant minds. Maybe I’ll design some wearable clothing soon.."
Did collaborating with La De Da and other contributors give you any new perspectives or inspiration?
"Oh definitely! I’m open to so much more after this project. I’m always up for the out of the ordinary projects"
Has this experience sparked any ideas for future edible art projects?
"Nothing in the works now for anything edible, but I do like to create magical dishes in the kitchen for my family and I feel a bit more motivation for the holidays now to create something different in the form of gourmet baked goods."
What does being part of this beloved holiday tradition mean to you as an artist? What do you hope viewers take away from this year’s woodland nymph dress?
"I am honored to be a part of a magical tradition of Roanoke knowing the excitement from the collective of residents here who await the next design each year. I hope viewers feel uplifted and inspired to create something special on their own and to take more time to spend in nature after viewing the dress. Hopefully it will spark some magic and child-like innocence in their hearts and remind them what it felt like to be a kid again in all the best ways."
Pictured below from left to right,
Sharayah Doty, Robyn Gross, and owner Crystal McBroom
A Sweet Collaboration
This year’s dress wouldn’t be complete without the incredible candy that brought our enchanted vision to life. Partnering with The Candy Store brought the sweetness and charm to the Dryad of the Enchanted Forest dress. I spoke with owner, Richard Jaeger, to get his perspective on this special collaboration,
What does being part of this holiday tradition mean to you as a local business owner? How did you go about picking the candy for the woodland nymph theme?
"We love collaborating with other local businesses. Downtown Roanoke is a close knit community that works well together. We love participating in the creative process. The candy dress has become a holiday tradition and it's thrilling to be part of something that makes so many people happy! La De Da carefully selects all of the candy used, it's a process of trial and error, sometimes the candy you think will work, won't cooperate with the desired outcome."
Are there any specific candies you’re especially excited to see used in the display? How do you hope your candy will help bring the dress to life?
"The dress is all about sparkle & texture. It's fun to see how different candies contribute to that. The Peanut Butter Bars provide the most unusual texture and the thousands of pieces of rock candy make the dress sparkle."
Has being involved with this display brought some fresh faces into your shop? What do you hope people take away from seeing the candy transformed into art for this unique holiday tradition?
"Yes! We have hundreds of customers come into the store raving about the dress every year. Art is inspirational, and the candy dress is a classic example of that! "
Have you seen how the display turned out? Would you want to be part of it again next time?
"Yes it was jaw dropping! The Candy Store will participate in future displays as long as the tradition continues!!!"
Visit Roanoke's own, The Candy Store
1 Market Square SE, Roanoke, VA 24011
The Spirit of La De Da
The Dryad of the Enchanted Forest dress reflects everything we strive for at La De Da: creativity, craftsmanship, and a touch of magic. It’s not just a dress; it’s a story brought to life, a celebration of what we can achieve when we come together with a shared vision.
When it comes to creativity and passion, La De Da owner Crystal McBroom leads the way.
What does this annual display mean to you, what do you hope it adds to the La De Da vibe? How do you feel the community has embraced the edible dress tradition?
"The original owner came up with the idea out of needing a creative outlet to express ourselves more than we had been before. It's really taken on a life of its own and we cannot fathom not doing it every year because people get so excited about it. Everything we do is very unique and artistic and I think that truly reflects in these works."
What made you settle on a woodland nymph look for this year’s dress?
"Last year we created something that was much more wearable and down to earth, so we wanted to go the opposite direction this year and create something that was completely mythical and fantastical."
Do you think these displays help create a sense of excitement or connection with the community during the holidays? What do you hope visitors will feel when they see this display in the window?
"I would say yes. People come down every year just to see it, often they end up coming in and shopping at the same time. I hope this display invokes a sense of wonder and escapism, something out of the norm."
"I definitely enjoy connecting and brainstorming each year with the folks at the candy store. They are so generous to always offer to help us source our candy for the dress. We also enjoy speaking with local news station WDBJ7 every year about it."
Has the yearly dress tradition helped La De Da stand out among other businesses in the neighborhood?
"I definitely think so! I don't think anyone else around is doing anything like this."
Are there any memorable moments or reactions from past displays that have stuck with you?
"The most memorable one I have would be the first year after I purchased the store. We made two dresses instead of one! It was pretty dramatic, the reaction to unveiling two."
If you could describe this year’s dress display in just three words, what would they be?
"Ethereal. Shimmery. Magical."
See the Dress in Person
The Holiday Candy Dress: The Dryad of the Enchanted Forest, is now on display in our store, and we can’t wait for you to experience its magic firsthand. Whether you’re visiting to admire its intricate details or shop for the perfect holiday gifts, we hope the dress brings a little extra wonder to your season.
