The Heritage
The Story of DS&Durga
D.S. & Durga is a Brooklyn-based fragrance house founded in 2007 by husband-and-wife team David Seth Moltz and Kavi Ahuja Moltz. David Seth Moltz, a self-taught perfumer and former indie musician, composes all the house scents while Kavi handles visual design. The brand creates immersive fragrances inspired by specific feelings, places, and cultural moments, ranging from the American West (J. Crew Homesteader's Cologne, 2013) to historical periods (Beverly Hills 1985, 2010) and abstract emotional states (You Kill Me With Silence, 2018). D.S. & Durga is notably a perfumer-owned house, giving the founder creative control across the entire brand. Their catalog spans chypres, colognes, and aromatic compositions, with later releases including Royal Purpure and King Majesty Bergamot Chypre (2024). The brand operates from Brooklyn, New York, and has developed a following among fragrance enthusiasts drawn to its narrative-driven approach.
Heritage
David Seth Moltz and Kavi Ahuja Moltz met in New York's East Village neighborhood, reportedly on Avenue B, before launching D.S. & Durga in 2007. David, who goes by the nickname D.S., was an indie musician with no formal perfumery training. He taught himself the craft, developing fragrances as compositions that translate intangible experiences into scent. Kavi, whose nickname Durga comes from her middle name, handles the visual identity and design side of the business. The brand name itself combines their two nicknames, a reflection of their personal partnership. The house began by creating fragrances based on specific settings and emotional states rather than following conventional fragrance families. Their early work included releases like Lady Greystock (2011) and Spent Musket Oil (2012), which referenced historical and tactile narratives. In 2010, they released Beverly Hills 1985, a scent capturing a specific time and place in California culture. A notable collaboration came in 2013 with J. Crew Homesteader's Cologne, which brought niche fragrance concepts to a broader retail audience while maintaining the brand's distinctive voice. D.S. & Durga remained independent and Brooklyn-based throughout its growth, eventually attracting the attention of Manzanita Capital, which acquired a stake in the company. The brand continued releasing new work into the 2020s, including Royal Purpure and the 2024 release King Majesty Bergamot Chypre, demonstrating ongoing creative development under Moltz's composition.
Craftsmanship
David Seth Moltz trained as a musician before becoming a self-taught perfumer, and he approaches fragrance composition with the same rigors he would apply to music composition. Each scent undergoes a development process that Moltz describes as exploring relationships between aromatic materials until they resolve into coherent compositions. The brand does not disclose detailed ingredient sourcing or production processes beyond general practices common to niche perfumery. The fragrances span traditional perfumery structures including chypres, colognes, and aromatic compositions. Releases like Spent Musket Oil (2012) require materials that evoke oxidized metal and combustion residue, suggesting experimentation with unconventional aromatic combinations. King Majesty Bergamot Chypre (2024) works within the classical chypre framework, demonstrating range across perfumery traditions. D.S. & Durga produces its fragrance line in Brooklyn, maintaining domestic production rather than outsourcing to third-party manufacturers. This production model allows for quality control and creative flexibility, though specific batch sizes and quality testing protocols are not publicly documented. The brand's perfumer-owned structure means Moltz personally oversees composition work, maintaining direct involvement in every formula.
Design Language
The visual identity of D.S. & Durga reflects Kavi Ahuja Moltz's design sensibility, which favors spare, typographic approaches over decorative elaboration. Early packaging utilized simple label designs with text-forward presentation, allowing fragrance names to carry conceptual weight. Names like Beverly Hills 1985, You Kill Me With Silence, and Spent Musket Oil communicate their conceptual references directly, requiring minimal additional decoration. The brand's aesthetic moved through various phases while maintaining consistency around minimalism and specificity. Bottle designs generally adopt understated forms, avoiding ornate Stoppers or elaborate glasswork common in luxury fragrance. This restraint positions D.S. & Durga as anti-conspicuous, appealing to consumers who respond to conceptual depth over visual signaling. Marketing and presentation emphasize the narratives behind each scent rather than lifestyle aspirational imagery. Editorial coverage in publications like Into The Gloss and Surface Magazine has highlighted the brand's Brooklyn origins and the personal relationship between its founders. The overall aesthetic communicates artistic credibility and intellectual engagement rather than mainstream luxury appeal.
Philosophy
D.S. & Durga treats fragrance as a vehicle for storytelling and sensory memory rather than merely a beauty product. David Seth Moltz composes scents by imagining specific environments, historical moments, or emotional atmospheres, then translating those concepts into olfactory compositions. This approach means each fragrance carries a narrative dimension that invites wearers to inhabit a particular space or moment. The brand rejects the notion that fragrance should simply smell pleasant or follow seasonal trends. Instead, they embrace scents that can evoke specific references, whether that is the oxidized metal of a musket barrel, the dry heat of a western landscape, or the particular atmosphere of a 1980s Los Angeles neighborhood. This conceptual rigor distinguishes D.S. & Durga from brands that prioritize marketability over artistic expression. As a perfumer-owned house, D.S. & Durga maintains direct alignment between creative vision and final product. Moltz's complete creative control means there is no external pressure to compromise on unconventional ideas. The brand's willingness to release scents like You Kill Me With Silence (2018) demonstrates comfort with provocative or minimal conceptual frameworks. Their philosophy positions fragrance as an intellectual and sensory experience simultaneously.
Key Milestones
2007
D.S. & Durga founded in Brooklyn, NY by David Seth Moltz and Kavi Ahuja Moltz
2010
Release of Beverly Hills 1985, referencing a specific time and cultural setting
2011
Launch of Lady Greystock, one of the brand's early notable fragrances
2012
Spent Musket Oil released, an aromatic composition referencing historical tactile experiences
2013
Collaboration with J. Crew on Homesteader's Cologne, expanding retail reach while maintaining niche positioning
2018
You Kill Me With Silence released, demonstrating comfort with minimal and provocative conceptual approaches
At a Glance
Brand profile snapshot
Origin
United States
Founded
2007
Heritage
19
Years active
Collection
5
Fragrances released
Avg Rating
3.9
Community sentiment
Release Rhythm