D.S. & Durga

D.S. & Durga is an American fragrance house established in Brooklyn in 2008 by husband-and-wife founders David Seth Moltz and Kavi Ahuja Moltz. The company developed from the complementary creative practices of its founders: Moltz is a self-taught perfumer, while Kavi Moltz is an architect. Their partnership has shaped the brand’s identity as a design-conscious and concept-led perfumery rather than a conventional mass-market fragrance label. The brand is associated with perfumes that use narrative, place, music, nature, and cultural references as starting points for scent development. Its name combines David Seth Moltz’s initials with “Durga,” a pet name he used for Kavi. The latter also references Durga, a Hindu goddess associated with protection, strength, motherhood, destruction, and war. The name therefore operates both as an intimate reference between the founders and as a culturally resonant term with a broader religious and historical meaning. D.S. & Durga initially built its presence through independent and specialist retail. Its products were first sold at Barneys New York in March 2015, followed by distribution through retailers including Bergdorf Goodman, Galleria, and Liberty. The company subsequently developed direct retail locations in New York, including stores in Nolita and Williamsburg, as well as a location in Venice Beach, California. This combination of selective wholesale and branded stores positioned D.S. & Durga within the premium and niche-perfumery segment. Its scope includes fine fragrances and home-fragrance products, with the brand’s perfume collections forming the central offering. D.S. & Durga has also extended its scent expertise through collaborations and hospitality-related products. Documented partnerships include a 2018 limited-edition fragrance collection created with the British band Duran Duran, the Young Dunes fragrance developed with menswear designer Todd Snyder, the Mahogany Kora fragrance made with model and designer Armando Cabral in 2023, and a 2023 collaboration with The Carlyle involving shampoo, conditioner, and body wash inspired by the hotel’s honeysuckle-scented soap. In 2024, D.S. & Durga was acquired by London-based Manzanita Capital, an investment group that also owns Diptyque and MALIN+GOETZ. The transaction placed the Brooklyn-founded house within a larger portfolio of premium fragrance and beauty brands while preserving its identity as a distinct label. Publicly available reference material does not establish a separate corporate headquarters, detailed financial results, or a complete global distribution list. The brand remains active and is best understood as a premium, design-oriented niche fragrance business with a presence in specialist retail, branded stores, collaborations, and selected personal- and home-care categories.

D.S. & Durga was founded in Brooklyn in 2008 by David Seth Moltz and Kavi Ahuja Moltz. The founders brought different but complementary disciplines to the business. David Seth Moltz became the house’s self-taught perfumer, while Kavi Moltz’s background in architecture contributed to the brand’s visual and spatial sensibility. Their husband-and-wife partnership also influenced the brand name: “Durga” was David’s personal nickname for Kavi. The word additionally refers to Durga, a Hindu goddess associated with protection, strength, motherhood, destruction, and war. From its early development, D.S. & Durga differentiated itself through concept-driven fragrance creation. Rather than presenting perfume only as a luxury accessory, the house used stories, environments, music, natural materials, and cultural associations as foundations for scent ideas. This approach helped establish the company in the independent and niche-perfumery field, where originality and authorship are central parts of brand value. A significant retail step came in March 2015, when D.S. & Durga was first sold at Barneys New York. The brand later reached other selective retailers, including Bergdorf Goodman, Galleria, and Liberty. It also opened its own retail stores in New York’s Nolita and Williamsburg neighborhoods and in Venice Beach, California. These locations gave the company a direct physical presence alongside its specialist wholesale network. The house expanded its activity through collaborations. In 2018 it worked with Duran Duran on a limited-edition fragrance collection celebrating four decades of the band’s music. It also collaborated with menswear designer Todd Snyder on Young Dunes, with the fragrance sold through Todd Snyder boutiques. In 2023, D.S. & Durga partnered with Armando Cabral on Mahogany Kora. That year it also worked with The Carlyle on shampoo, conditioner, and body wash inspired by the hotel’s honeysuckle-scented soap. These projects extended the brand beyond its core perfume range into music, fashion, hospitality, and bath and body products. In 2024, Manzanita Capital acquired D.S. & Durga. The London-based owner already held premium fragrance and beauty interests, including Diptyque and MALIN+GOETZ. The acquisition marked an important ownership transition from an independently founded Brooklyn house to membership in a larger international portfolio, while the available reference material continues to identify D.S. & Durga as an active and distinct fragrance brand. Detailed acquisition terms, financial results, employee numbers, and the full extent of post-acquisition operating changes are not established in the supplied sources.

1. 2024Acquired by Manzanita Capital

   Manzanita Capital acquired D.S. & Durga and added it to a portfolio that includes Diptyque and MALIN+GOETZ.

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2. 2023Mahogany Kora collaboration

   D.S. & Durga collaborated with Armando Cabral on the Mahogany Kora fragrance.

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3. 2023The Carlyle bath and body partnership

   The house partnered with The Carlyle on shampoo, conditioner, and body wash inspired by the hotel’s honeysuckle soap.

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4. 2018Duran Duran fragrance collaboration

   The brand created a limited-edition fragrance collection with Duran Duran tied to the band’s musical history.

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5. 2015First sold at Barneys New York

   D.S. & Durga entered Barneys New York in March, marking a major step in its selective retail distribution.

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6. 2008Brand founded in Brooklyn

   David Seth Moltz and Kavi Ahuja Moltz established D.S. & Durga in Brooklyn, New York.

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Premium niche perfumery combining self-taught artisanal fragrance development, architectural design sensibility, and story-led scent concepts.

• Fine fragrance collectionsPerfume2008

  The company’s central product area is its collection of perfumes. D.S. & Durga is recognized for treating fragrance as a narrative and design medium, with scent concepts connected to places, natural materials, music, and cultural references. The available reference material does not provide a complete catalogue of individual core fragrances.

• Young DunesCollaborative fragrance

  Young Dunes is a fragrance created through a collaboration between D.S. & Durga and menswear designer Todd Snyder. The product was also distributed through Todd Snyder boutiques, linking the fragrance house with a fashion retail network.

• Mahogany KoraCollaborative fragrance2023

  Mahogany Kora is a fragrance developed by D.S. & Durga in collaboration with Armando Cabral. It was documented as a 2023 collaboration and represents the brand’s practice of working with creative partners outside traditional perfumery.

• Duran Duran limited-edition fragrance collectionLimited-edition fragrance2018

  This limited-edition collection was created with Duran Duran in 2018 and was framed around four decades of the band’s music. It extended D.S. & Durga’s narrative approach into a music-led collaboration.

• The Carlyle bath and body collectionBath and body care2023

  Created with The Carlyle in 2023, this partnership covered shampoo, conditioner, and body wash. The products were inspired by the hotel’s honeysuckle-scented soap and broadened the house’s activity into hospitality-oriented personal care.

• 2018Duran Duran limited-edition fragrance collaboration

  International

  D.S. & Durga partnered with Duran Duran on a limited-edition fragrance collection associated with the band’s four-decade musical legacy.

  Outcome. The collaboration expanded the brand’s cultural and storytelling profile through a music-related fragrance project.

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• 2024Manzanita Capital acquisitionM&A

  D.S. & Durga had developed from a Brooklyn-founded independent perfumery into a premium brand with selective wholesale distribution, branded stores, and collaborations.

  What changed. London-based Manzanita Capital acquired the fragrance house and placed it alongside portfolio brands including Diptyque and MALIN+GOETZ.

  Aftermath. The brand remained identified as an active D.S. & Durga business, but the supplied sources do not disclose transaction terms or detailed operational changes.

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• 2024Manzanita Capital acquires D.S. & Durga

  London-based Manzanita Capital acquired the Brooklyn-founded fragrance house, adding it to a portfolio that includes Diptyque and MALIN+GOETZ.

  M&A
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• 2023D.S. & Durga and Armando Cabral create Mahogany Kora

  The brand collaborated with Armando Cabral on the Mahogany Kora fragrance.

  Product launch
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• 2023D.S. & Durga partners with The Carlyle on bath and body products

  The fragrance house worked with The Carlyle on shampoo, conditioner, and body wash inspired by the hotel’s honeysuckle-scented soap.

  Product launch
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• 2018D.S. & Durga launches Duran Duran collaboration

  D.S. & Durga and Duran Duran collaborated on a limited-edition fragrance collection connected to the band’s four decades of music.

  Product launchCampaign
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1. D.S. & Durga