David & Kavi Moltz
The Perfumer and His Muse
For this episode, I sat down with David and Kavi Moltz, the uniquely talented couple behind D.S. & Durga. They met on Avenue B in 2007, started making perfume in their Brooklyn apartment a few months later, and never really stopped.
In our conversation, David and Kavi take me through all of it: the early-aughts Brooklyn scene that shaped them, the scrappy years handmaking orders in their kitchen, and the deeper philosophy behind why they create at all. David talks about fragrance and music as the two “invisible” art forms, and why he believes they’re the closest mediums we have to interacting with something beyond ourselves. Kavi, a trained architect and art history graduate, opens up about growing up as the artsy outlier in a family of doctors, how architecture school taught her to defend her creative decisions, and why the 2008 financial crash was actually the moment she went all-in on the brand.
Tune in for a conversation about the art of world-building through scent, what it means to build a brand without a blueprint, and why taking your time is the only way to make something that truly lasts.
Fig. 01 — From the episode archive
Guest Questionnaire
The Questionnaire
- Favorite work of art?
- Kavi Right now, I can’t get The Two Fridas out of my head.
David Impossible - Favorite quote or mantra?
- Kavi “You have a right to perform your duty, but you are not entitled to the fruits of action.”
David “Don’t be tied to the fruits of your action.” - Favorite book of yours?
- Kavi The Master and Margarita by Mikhail Bulgakov
David Meditations on the Tarot by Valentin Tomberg - Favorite time of day?
- Kavi Early morning for work, end of work day to reconnect with my kids
David Early morning - Favorite movie?
- Kavi Beetlejuice
David Stop Making Sense - Album or musical artist you have on repeat?
- Kavi Darklands by The Jesus and Mary Chain, almost every morning at my desk
David The Dead - Favorite type of tree, plant, or flower?
- Kavi Tuberose, for its smell not its looks.
David Rose
Three Questions on Time
Take Your Time Back
If everything on your calendar tomorrow was canceled, what would you do?
Kavi Museum, Central Park, long walk with the dog, reading.
David Racquetball with the boys. Reading, writing, playing music. Walk in the park.Time is the only thing you can’t fake. What’s something you could have only learned over time?
David Buy your trademarks everywhere the day you name your brand. Someone will buy them and hold you hostage for hundreds of thousands of dollars if you wait.
Kavi That I have to stand up for myself and trust my own vision more than I’m naturally comfortable with. Everyone’s input matters, but in the end, if I know something is right, I have to say it out loud.When does time stand still for you?
Kavi Sitting at my desk with headphones on, loud repetitive electronic music playing, completely in the flow of a design.
David Playing live music with other people.
From the Episode
Show Notes
In This Episode
- 0:00Cold Open: Creative Partnership
- 1:35Podcast Introduction
- 2:27Breathing Exercise
- 3:41How They Met
- 5:28Music & Early Influences
- 7:50Childhood & Upbringing
- 9:49Fragrance as an Invisible Art
- 12:14Kavi’s Architecture Background
- 16:47Art School vs Business School
- 20:31Origins of D.S. & Durga
- 27:41Building the Brand’s DNA
- 30:05American Perfumery & Reverence for Craft
- 31:38Ownership & the Invisible Mediums
- 34:25Innovation vs Staying True
- 37:20Becoming a Self-Taught Nose
- 41:09The Singer-Songwriter Analogy
- 45:57Wit, Humor & Staying Loose
- 52:42Practice, Taste & Mastery
- 53:58Parenting & Phases of Life
- 57:21Kids, Fragrance & Nostalgia
- 1:01:01Take Your Time Back: Rapid Fire
- 1:07:34Closing Thoughts & Advice
In Their Words
- “Fragrance is an art form that’s equal to all the other art forms. You could say the same thing with a scent as you could with a book, a movie, a poem, a piece of music.” — David
- “Music and perfume are both invisible. They have form and rhythm and tone, but you can’t see them. They force you to interact in a much more immediate way.” — David
- “You can take the work seriously without taking yourself seriously. That’s the difference.” — David
- “Always keep it loose. There should always be something about to unravel a little bit.” — Kavi
- “You cannot be annoyed at how the sausage is made. That’s how everything good gets made.” — David
- “Studying art and literature when you’re young and impressionable — it takes place deep in you, in a way that you just can’t get from learning business later.” — Kavi
- “I am a big meditator and I can get to great places in that. But when I play live music with people, there is literally no thought about anything except the music. It’s just gone.” — David
Follow Along
D.S. & Durga on Instagram: @dsanddurga
Dianna on Instagram: @diannacohen
Take Your Time on Instagram, TikTok and Substack
