D.S. & DURGA Stores: Nature, Concrete and Punk | ルシェルシェパルファム

Perfume has the ability to take you to other places in your mind. Your nose triggers the journey to places real and fictional.
David Moltz

David Moltz creates the fragrances, while Kavi Moltz shapes the visual world of D.S. & DURGA. Their New York stores give physical form to their creative work: the weight of concrete, sharp studs, and playful lighting. Here, fragrances that evoke natural landscapes can be explored in a distinctly hard-edged urban setting.

Contents

How the Stores Began
The Thinking Behind the Stores
1. Stories Without Rules for Enjoying Them
2. Giving Concrete a Different Character in Each Store
Stores to Visit
1. The First Store in Nolita
2. Experiments with Materials in Williamsburg
References

How the Stores Began

David, a musician who taught himself perfumery, and Kavi, who trained in architecture, founded the brand in 2008. David takes responsibility for fragrances and words, and Kavi for design. Each brings ideas to the other’s work as they develop their creations.

Their first directly operated store opened in Nolita in February 2019. Previously, customers looking for their products had visited the Brooklyn studio, but its public opening hours were limited. They needed a place with passing foot traffic where people could encounter the perfumes more easily.

Kavi worked with her friend from high school, Krista Ninivaggi, who led K&CO. Concrete, steel, and acrylic spikes behind the products brought a distinctly New York sense of punk to the space. A concrete island at its center provided storage for the perfumes.

A second store opened in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, in 2021. The brand now also has stores on Madison Avenue in New York and in Venice and Silver Lake in Los Angeles.

The Thinking Behind the Stores

Stories Without Rules for Enjoying Them

The stories behind the fragrances are there for anyone who wants to explore them more deeply. David does not want to suggest that understanding the background is a prerequisite for enjoying a scent.

The key there is exploration. The last thing we ever want to be is didactic.
David Moltz

You can let a name or description spark your imagination, or simply begin with what your own nose likes. In Nolita and Williamsburg, customers are helped by fragrance advisors trained by the perfumer himself, and in-person perfume consultations are available.

Giving Concrete a Different Character in Each Store

Kavi chose concrete as a material that could connect the stores. It has weight, yet its shape and surface finish can be varied. Its roughness also suits the brand’s expression. In the first store, it became fixtures bearing the marks of their formwork; in the next, walls resembling geological layers. The different treatment of the same material gives each space its character.

Stores to Visit

The First Store in Nolita

At the Mulberry Street flagship, a wall of light and a small perfume lab welcome visitors. Choosing a space with a long frontage and high ceilings made the store more visible to people walking past.

Experiments with Materials in Williamsburg

The starting point for the second store was the rammed-earth appearance that had caught Kavi’s attention. She wanted layers like those in walls made from compacted earth, but the material needed to withstand New York’s humidity. Working with Ninivaggi and Eric Weil of Oso Industries, the team began experimenting with concrete mixes and finishes.

We wanted to do one very bold move for the small space
Kavi Moltz

The result was a series of walls layered in gray and beige. Dark, polished concrete formed the central display island, while pyramid-shaped studs lined the shelves. A curving ENTLER chandelier lends a light sense of movement to the weighty materials.

Illustration inspired by the interior of D.S. & Durga Williamsburg

At the back of the store, a small viewing window lets visitors watch footage of the design team testing materials. The neon colors are controlled by an audio mixer rather than conventional dimmers. Visitors can discover the experimentation behind the walls and lighting as well as admire the finished result.

On the street side, a column was removed to widen the opening, and folding glass doors were installed. When opened, they connect the interior with the sidewalk, extending the perfume shop toward the city. Even in a store surrounded by concrete, the entrance has been designed to avoid feeling closed off.