DS & DURGA, an American perfume house with a modern and minimalist style, pays tribute, on the other hand, to the endemic plants of the Northern United States. Its olfactory creations are inspired by the natural landscapes and plant richness of this region, offering unique and authentic fragrances.
Founded in 2008 in Brooklyn, DS & Durga stands out for its captivating fragrances, designed to evoke unique memories and places. Each creation embodies boundless imagination and exceptional craftsmanship.
THE ORIGIN OF THE BRAND NAME
The name Durga comes from David’s affectionate nickname for his wife, Kavi. Inspired by Hindu mythology, Durga refers to a goddess symbolizing protection, strength, motherhood, destruction, and wars. This choice not only illustrates their deep connection, but also the homage paid to the creative and protective energy associated with this divine figure.
DS & Durga is a niche perfume brand founded by the duo David Seth Moltz and Kavi Ahuja Moltz. David Seth Moltz, a self-taught perfumer, partners with Kavi Ahuja Moltz, an architect by training, to bring unique olfactory creations to life. In 2024, the brand joined the portfolio of Manzanita Capital, a London-based company that also owns prestigious brands such as Diptyque and MALIN+GOETZ.
David Seth Moltz (DS) – Founder & Perfumer of the brand
David learned the art of perfumery by fully immersing himself in the world of scents. His passion is to transcribe musical and literary spaces into fragrances. Each perfume of the brand is designed and developed exclusively by him, with particular attention to detail and authenticity.
Kavi Ahuja Moltz (Durga) – Artistic Director
Kavi approaches her work with the rigor and vision of an architect, a discipline in which she was trained. She thinks about angles, light, shadow and texture, always seeking clarity in form and function. Her artistic approach emphasizes the balance between aesthetics and practicality, creating visual creations that are as subtle as they are powerful.
“ We believe that the power of smell is equal to that of sight and hearing. A great scent is a lock to another realm; an invisible landscape that you can enter and explore at any time. ”
David (aka DS) is a self-taught perfumer who has created his own aromatic language, a rarity in the perfume industry. Kavi (aka Durga) is an architect by training, she is the one who builds structures for their perfumes and cities for their universe.
Starting from scratch, the creative couple decided to take the plunge and do it their way. Starting as DIY pioneers in Brooklyn, they transformed everything that moved them in music, nature, myths and design into refined perfumes in their small apartment in Bushwick. All the perfumes are therefore homemade and always will be.
EXCEPTIONAL FRAGRANCES FROM DS & DURGA
Each of their scents is a rich narrative. Everything they love about music, art, nature and design is told aromatically. Scents like fragments of half-remembered myths and imaginary landscapes that invite exploration. Liner notes, playlists, images, charts and films develop the world inside the glass.
DS & DURGA believes that perfume has a power similar to that of images or sounds. Each olfactory creation opens the way to a sensory exploration, echoing vague memories of myths and imaginary landscapes. Each perfume is distinguished by a wealth of details, like an invitation to discover fragments of a deep and fascinating world.
Their perfumes are creations, authentic studies of real-world objects, plants and places integrated into stories that transport you to distant places, material and imaginary.
Their perfumes are 100% made in New York, a city at the heart of the brand and in the DNA of each fragrance.
“It shapes our lives and our worldview. It’s all done here in the belly of the beast.”