As I wait for David Moltz to arrive at our scheduled viewing of the Museum of Art and Design’s exhibit, The Art of Scent: 1889-2012, I can’t help but eavesdrop on a teenage boy with a southern accent complaining to his parents about his total lack of interest in the exhibit. I feel bad, but I’m somewhat inclined to agree with him as I wait, since I had no real idea what to expect from an exhibition that relies on the nose and not the eyes. But ten minutes later, Moltz, one-half of the husband and wife duo of the small-batch fragrance brand D.S. & Durga, totally changes my mind.

Started in 2007 when Moltz and his future wife Kavi decided to make one-off holiday gifts of tonics and aftershaves for friends and family, Moltz said the pair “fell down the rabbit hole of scent creation,” which led Moltz to trade in his guitar, and saw Kavi move on from her career in architecture to product design when the hobby turned into a real business. I don’t even get a chance to ask Moltz what his thoughts are on the apprehensions I shared with the young tourist about smells belonging in a museum as we start walking around. … Read More