The fragrance industry is perpetually searching for its next indie wünderkind—an independent perfume label that marries just the right level of creativity with wearability for a commercial blockbuster. But in a world where the independent, artisan category and international success often feel at odds,—where is the line between getting big and selling out?—managing the leap from indie underdog to household name while maintaining an integrity of vision is no small feat.
D.S. & Durga is of that rare breed: a brand that has managed to gain extensive success without sacrificing the very essence that made it so unique: olfactory storytelling, or as the brand refers to it, “armchair travel.” Yes, there was a packaging redesign from a more apothecary-led aesthetic to something more sleek, chic, and minimal, as well as an investment from Monogram Capital Partners in December 2018, but at the heart of it all, D.S. & Durga stayed D.S. & Durga.
What began in a Bedford-Stuyvesant apartment in 2007 has since blossomed into an international presence at cult retailers across various countries, resulting in $10-$12 million in sales. In between, there was the launch of an upscale sub-brand inspired by ancient Northern European cultures, Hylnds; a “New York. Tougher than Ever.” candle in collaboration with Phillip Lim and Ruba Abu-Nimah’s #NYTougherThanEver fundraising initiative; an NFT fragrance with crypto artist Fvckrender; infusing The Crown Affair’s signature hair oil product with their best-selling fragrance enhancer I Don’t Know What; and limited-edition Studio Juice drops so popular, they sold out in mere hours. From the Studio Juice range, the gourmand fragrance Pistachio proved so popular that the brand will be introducing it to the permanent collection next year.
Accompanying all the Durga main line launches were surrealist-tinged campaigns by Leta Sobierajski: a hand covered in burning/melting white pillar candles holding Burning Barbershop, the fragrance inspired by a Curling Bros. barbershop fire in 1891; a double denim-attired cowboy making two finger guns, a third hand emerging from the zip of his jeans, with a bottle of Cowboy Grass cheekily tucked into the pocket (the scent is a nod to the American West, and as the brand says, “perfect for robbing banks on horseback”). With high double-digit growth year over year, D.S. & Durga has managed to build a loyal fan base of fragrant followers.
The brains and hands behind it all are husband-and wife duo, musician David Seth Moltz and architect Kavi Moltz. David handles the fragrance creation, while Kavi works on the company’s branding and marketing side. Both of their creative fingerprints have left their mark on the brand: fragrances come with an accompanying Spotify playlist and the brand released an Aromatic Landscapes soundtrack in 2019, while its Soho retail residence marries punk rock and Brutalist architecture aesthetics.
Fresh off launching their latest fragrance enhancer, Leatherize, and the equally hide-themed candle, Parquet Leather, Seth Moltz discussed the evolution of the company with BeautyMatter.
As an indie brand with global success, how do you balance the pressures of increasing industry attention with staying true to your original vision?
Being perfumer/designer owned makes it easy to keep our vision. I conceive and design every fragrance myself. Kavi does all the branding with her creative team.
It feels like the fragrance industry was a bit slow to open its doors to the world of social media, but these days it has certainly created some immense overnight successes. How has the rise of TikTok impacted your business?
Debaser has been a hit on #fumetok. Like anything, I think it’s another log in the fire. You have to continue to interact on all fronts both artistically and commercially. I don’t know any metrics on how TikTok has affected the business, but I’m sure it’s built awareness.
Since you create designated playlists for fragrance releases, will sound be the new frontier of consumer engagement in an increasingly visual world?
Music is life and I’m a musician, but I don’t think it is the central way of interacting with a perfume. I champion the idea that perfume is an invisible landscape which can be expanded upon endlessly (like any other artwork—think songs about books, symphonies about poems). These connections are more clearly understood when you hear from the mouth of the perfumer and not only a marketing panel. I think our message is getting through about the potential for a perfume to be an everyday item of artistic exploration (like a record).
Given the great response to your Studio Juices, how important is exclusivity and scaling in the age of overabundance and overconsumption?
The Studio Juices are a wonderful way to touch upon a few of our desires. Firstly, I have so many ideas that we might never really make into the line. Maybe they’re weird or too like another of our fumes, or we just don’t have space. When you do a global launch, you are investing so much and taking up the bandwidth of a small team. But hand-making 100 bottles that Kavi gets to design however she wants lets us fly our freak flag and do it quickly without much prep. The ones that have a big response can come join the line as well. Secondly, it creates a fun way to interact with the fans of the brand who want something unique and special that can only be had at our direct outlets. Lastly, it's a way for me to have made attempts to include things that aren't usually front and center in a perfume line—like magnolia or lilac as opposed to, say, jasmine and rose.
How would you describe your retail strategy?
Our stores are the cornerstone of our vision. It’s where we can show everything just how we want it. That means the design of Kavi’s Goth-Brutalist architecture background married to the synesthesia colors of my mind. But it also means hiring a team that is kind, fun, and knowledgeable. We like a small footprint and try to open where people walk by a lot.
Having taken on outside investment from Monogram Capital Partners, what would your advice to other indie brands seeking these partnerships be?
Gut is everything. You know when it feels right. Your partner should not be someone you have to battle with. They understand why your ideas have merit. But be open to their advice if they’ve been where you haven’t.
Your collaborators range from Duran Duran to Fvckrender. What traits are you looking for in a project partner?
I like to collaborate with someone who is creative and understands that we’re making art together. It’s not a logo slap at all.
Would you ever consider doing another sub-brand like Hylnds in the future? What was your experience of operating this smaller-scale counterpart to the main line like?
I have many ideas for things like this. I think it makes sense to have multiple lines or else things get confusing. I wouldn’t want 100 scents in our flagship packaging (or would I?!?!).
As a brand that has released an NFT fragrance, what potential do you think the metaverse has for the inherently physical category of scent?
The metaverse thing is such an unknown to me—that’s why it’s cool. No one knows what it will become. That said, my 9- and 11-year-olds hang out with friends in Minecraft and want to buy digitally native things more than real-world items. So it must have legs. The thing I liked (besides Fvckrender’s incredible art) is that my ideas weren’t bound by reality. I could make up notes and things that don’t exist and then make a version of them in this world. If that doesn’t sound like crafting mythology in real time, I don’t know what does.
