The black D.S. & Durga perfume truck.
Courtesy D.S. & Durga

A Perfume Truck Brings D.S. & Durga’s Scents to the Street

Fragrance brand D.S. & Durga deploys a Fume Truck to offer its top scents to neighborhoods around New York City.
By Aileen Kwun
September 5, 2020
2 minute read

“Perfume has a wonderful ability to immerse people directly inside of a world,” says David Moltz, the self-taught perfumer who co-founded the Brooklyn-based fragrance company D.S. & Durga with his wife, Kavi, more than a decade ago. After careers spent in music and architecture, respectively, the duo were drawn to work in a medium that seemingly defied both—though Moltz doesn’t necessarily see them at odds. “All art forms can produce the same idea. Only the materials differ,” he says. “Each has various strengths and weaknesses. Perfume and music are both invisible and allow the sniffer or listener to imagine the worlds they are experiencing.”

The couple’s holistic approach has led to a number of projects beyond perfume, including a brick-and-mortar operation in downtown Manhattan, which remains closed until further notice due to Covid-19. Now, with a new roving mobile store stocked with exclusive drops—including candles, air fresheners, fragrances, and gift sets of its “greatest hits” launching next week—they’ll offer a trifecta of sound, scent, and architecture all in one. “We always wanted to do a chilled-perfume ice cream cart,” says Moltz, adding that, when the pandemic led to prolonged retail closures, “we realized a truck was a great, safe way to bring the store outdoors.” To be parked on various blocks throughout New York City, with on-the-fly location updates posted to the brand’s social media accounts, the D.S. & Durga Fume Truck will soon hit the streets. In a city known for its not-so-glamorous sidewalk odors, this is one experiment we’re eager to see—and smell.