Can memories be bottled? We asked it to founders of experimental fumes DS&Durga

The sensory experience could never be complete without the full involvement of the emotional sphere, and D.S. & Durga, a brand born and bred in New York City from the idea of Kavi Moltz and David Seth, makes this concept its credo. The brand's founders are a couple in life and business, she's an architect and he's a sound designer turned nose perfumer, who started making fragrances in 2007 to make Christmas gifts for their friends, an activity then happily turned it into a business because of its success.The brand now boasts international distribution with selected retailers and a privileged place in the niche fragrance market thanks to its unique olfactory code. All this has been possible because of the deep sense of structure that both minds behind D.S. & Durga know and are able to infuse into each scented creation, opening doors on the emotional baggage of those who approach their "fumes" and transporting mind and body on a journey that starts with the evocative names of the fragrances that exactly represent the contents of the bottle, - such as the bestselling "I Don't Know What" and "Sweet Nothings" or "Bistro Waters" - and extends with an immersive sound design playlist curated by the brand for each fragrance, available on Spotify.

With authentic study of the concept behind the scent, David's self-made perfumer nose finds the inspiration and idea that Kavi's mind stuctures into an emotional construction that can extend to infinity, like a memory palace.

I love the idea of creating fantasy perfumes, like writing a sci-fi story of a world that doesn't or can't exist. I think it's great to create a theoretical perfume-it's like a little poem or a myth. And then you can bring that myth into the real world with a fragrance that tries to smell like the impossible.

The world of niche perfume is an industry free of genre canons and open to sensory experimentation and hyper-personalization, but more importantly further from the marketing goal-driven views of big companies, although in the post-pandemic period much room is being created for the industry to evolve. According to Kavi Durga to jump into this world, the important thing is to have something to say, to convey innovative ideas of self-expression, and to find the right shoulder to fill in your weak spots.