Haley interviews Amy Atlas
by haley sherif
I’m a sweet lover, so the discovery of Amy Atlas, renowned “Sweets Stylist” was a fun find! From delicious desserts to fashion forward and colorful dessert bars, Amy is the go to dessert design expert and she’s recently revealed some how to steps, along with detailed recipes in a new book titled Sweet Designs. Amy’s work has appeared in The New York Times, Life & Style, Gotham, New York Magazine, Martha Stewart Weddings, Brides, and many more. She has also appeared on countless television shows. Here she dishes on all things sweet, including inspiration for her book, favorite tables, and more!
HS: What inspired your book Sweet Designs?
AA: A few things inspired this book. One, my love for baking (and cookbooks). Second, I’ve had ideas of dessert tables that I wanted to create for years that I wanted to get on paper. Last, my readers were a big inspiration to me. I wanted to give my readers a step-by-step manual so they could create their own dessert tables at home.
HS: You’ve designed so many sweet tables over the years, how did you decide what to feature in your book?
AA: It was a pretty long process. It took almost three years from proposal to publication. When I’ve looked at books in the past, I never would have imagined all of the work that goes into them. I wanted to create a reference guide rather than a coffee table and that meant creating detailed instructions and a lot of content in addition to the photos. From concept creation to recipe/craft creation to writing to photo shoots to edits to design of the book to the marketing of it, it is an enormous project.
HS: You write about (in Sweet Designs) how fashion inspires a lot of your work. Why do you think that is?
AA: Many of my clients shop designer labels so I thought, Wouldn’t it be fabulous to bring high end fashion from the boutique to dessert? For one Pucci-loving client, I created a fanciful dessert bar using a Pucci-inspired print. Now everyone wants a fashionable dessert bar at her party!
HS: What is your favorite table in Sweet Designs?
AA: Oh, that is a killer question. I’m so attached to each and every chapter after working on and having these ideas in my head for years! I’d say Pastel Pretty, Honey I Love You, Forever Chanel, and Take Me Away are a few of my favorites.
HS: What inspires the work you do every day?
AA: I am inspired by everything around me. Some big sources for me are fashion and fabrics.
HS: You write about sharing desserts with your father, how did he encourage your love for the dessert world?
AA: My Dad and I were the sugar fanatics in the family, while my Mom and Brother went for anything savory. Dad and I enjoyed our best moments late at night around the kitchen table, talking while eating whatever treat happened to be on hand.
HS: What is your all time favorite sweet you make?
AA: I do love the Key Lime bars from my book. They are citrusy, refreshing, and they have the most delicious graham cracker crust.
