Heritage
A house, in its own words
David-Lev Jipa-Slivinschi launched Toskovat' from Romania in 2022, becoming one of the most discussed new voices in niche perfumery. He describes himself as self-taught and sees that background as an asset. In interviews, he has stated that the lack of classical training means he operates without the constraints that formal education imposes. The brand name itself resists easy translation, drawing from the Russian concept of toска to evoke longing, nostalgia, and an ache without a specific target. Two years before launching Toskovat', David-Lev discovered his calling in perfumery after a period of searching. He began experimenting with fragrance creation during his transition from amateur to professional, developing an approach rooted in emotional storytelling rather than technical convention. When Toskovat' finally debuted, it arrived with a handful of extraits de mémoire that rejected the pretty floral compositions and crowd-pleasing fresh scents dominating the market. The early releases immediately divided opinion, precisely as intended. Inexcusable Evil, created during the early stages of Russia's invasion of Ukraine, exemplified the brand's confrontational approach, serving as a deliberate conversation piece rather than a traditional fragrance. The house quickly attracted international attention. Features in Vogue UK and The Wall Street Journal introduced Toskovat' to a global audience. Luca Turin's public comments on six fragrances cemented the brand's reputation within the fragrance critic community. Community platforms like Fragrantica and Basenotes developed active discussions around every release, with passionate defenders and vocal critics for each scent. David-Lev has also pursued bespoke commissions, working directly with clients to translate their personal stories and memories into individualized fragrances through intimate conversations. This service reinforces the brand's position as a storyteller and memory-artist rather than a conventional perfumer. The house has continued releasing new fragrances annually, expanding its collection while maintaining its confrontational ethos.
Toskovat' operates from a clear conviction: fragrance should function as emotional memory made tangible. The brand calls its creations extraits de mémoire, emphasizing that each scent begins not with an ingredient list but with a story or feeling. David-Lev has described the ideal fragrance as one capable of awakening forgotten recollections, of transporting the wearer to a specific moment or sensation. This approach deliberately sidesteps perfumery convention. Instead of building scents around pleasant accords or marketable themes, Toskovat' pursues compositions that capture difficult, ambiguous, or provocative emotional territory. The brand embraces challenging materials and unexpected combinations as legitimate artistic tools. David-Lev explicitly rejects the notion that classical training improves a perfumer's work. He has framed his self-taught status as a competitive advantage, suggesting it grants freedom to experiment without internalized rules about what fragrance should be. The philosophy extends to the brand's relationship with its audience. Toskovat' does not aim to please everyone. Division is acceptable, even welcome, because it signals genuine engagement with ideas rather than empty pleasantness. Luca Turin's observation captured this duality: shocking, gothic openings gradually yielding to more composed heart and base notes. The provocation serves a purpose, pulling the wearer through discomfort toward something unexpectedly wearable. Toskovat' treats each fragrance as a narrative artifact, a scent-story designed to provoke thought and feeling first, compliments second.