The Story
Why it exists.
The beginning
Figue Interdite was created by Dawn Spencer Hurwitz and launched in 2018 as part of Les Fruits Défendus vol.1. Hurwitz builds the fragrance around an exotic all-botanical idea: green, fruity, floral, and milky at heart, with woody and botanical musks in the drydown. Apricot, peach, bergamot, blackcurrant bud, and davana establish a bright, textured opening, while galbanum reinforces the composition's green character. Rose, jasmine, mimosa, neroli, linden blossom, coconut CO2, and ylang-ylang shape the heart, creating an airy floral center with a creamy facet. As the fragrance develops, the floral notes gradually give way to woods, mosses, roots, balsam fir, and musk, leaving a composed, quietly textured trail.
What makes the composition distinctive is its friction between ripe fruit and cool vegetation. Apricot, peach, bergamot, blackcurrant bud, and davana create a bright, textured opening, while galbanum gives the greenery a distinct role within the blend. The heart introduces rose, jasmine, mimosa, neroli, linden blossom, coconut CO2, and ylang-ylang. These notes bring together airy florals and a creamy, rounded quality, with each material adding a different texture to the center.
The evolution
The opening arrives with brisk fruit and leafy air. Apricot and peach provide rounded fruit, bergamot adds citrus brightness, and blackcurrant bud lends a darker tart edge while davana and green notes create a herbal hush around everything. Then the composition moves into its milky floral phase, where rose, jasmine, mimosa, linden blossom, and neroli soften the fruit. Coconut CO2 adds a creamy, almost tropical turn, while galbanum and ylang-ylang contribute contrasting green and floral facets to the heart. As the fragrance develops, the flowers recede and the woody base takes over. Mysore sandalwood, Brazilian vetiver, oakmoss, orris root, costus, balsam fir, ambrette seed, and cedarwood shape the drydown with woods, earth, moss, root, resinous, powdery, and clean facets.
Cultural impact
Figue Interdite is part of Les Fruits Défendus, a fragrance series that places fruit at the center of its compositions while exploring the materials that surround it. In this release, apricot, peach, bergamot, and blackcurrant bud are joined by galbanum, davana, a varied floral heart, coconut CO2, and a textured woody base. The result is a composition built through contrast: bright fruit, green notes, airy florals, creamy facets, mosses, roots, and woods.
The House
DSH PerfumesDSH Perfumes is an indie fragrance house rooted in Colorado. Founder Dawn Spencer Hurwitz blends botanical ingredients with a keen sense of visual art, offering scents that feel like scented sketches rather than commercial statements. The line balances historic perfume structures with contemporary twists, inviting collectors to explore each bottle as a quiet study in aroma.
The Creator
Dawn Spencer HurwitzDawn’s signatures are rich, tactile woods, resinous amber, and finely tuned floral accords that recall the texture of a canvas. She favors natural extracts—cedar, sandalwood, frankincense, and hand‑picked botanicals —often pairing them with unexpected mineral or metallic notes…
