David Moltz is first and foremost a storyteller. How he tells them, though, is a bit unconventional. As co-founder with his wife of Brooklyn-based fragrance house, D.S. & Durga, he conveys elaborate and atmospheric tales with scents. With names like Radio Bombay, Mississippi Medicine and our personal favorite, '85 Diesel, David stays as busy crafting the necessary story as he does developing the fragrance itself.
He and his wife have transcended from the classic New York cool couple with a cult following for their perfumes to stalwarts of what can be an otherwise saturated niche fragrance world (with the addition of a couple of children to the family to boot). Between nearly constant collaborations with in-demand brands and an appointment-only shop in Brooklyn, it's no surprise that David stays active. So how does one get in the right headspace to create a new scent with its own custom story from scratch? Turns out, heavy doses of tea and meditation help. Get to know David through his all-important morning routine below.
My Routine
I'm up between five and six. It all depends on when the kids wake me. Of course, I target eight hours, but in reality it usually ends up being a broken six or seven.
Classical music maintains some chill. Things aren't exactly slow in the morning. Ripped out of bed by the kids, I immediately start making them breakfast and packing their lunches. But I've always got classical playing in the background. Usually, it's my radio tuned to WQXR.
I like a strong black tea with milk to start the day. After I get the kids settled, I'll head upstairs and meditate. After that, it's shower, get dressed and try to eat something for breakfast.
If I can get something, I prefer eggs, turkey bacon and Bay's english muffins, half with butter/marmite and half with Fortnum and Mason's full-bodied marmalade.
Meditation is critical for me to level set for the day.
I leave the house at the same time each day. It's a sense of structure, I guess. I'm always out the door at 7:15 am.
Not surprisingly,
I'm pretty particular about my products.
A quality oil like Rodin is a game-changer. And I use Crystal Essence's natural deodorant and Billy Jealousy's water-based pomade every day.
Clockwise, from top left:
Luxury face oil, $170 by Rodin; Standard Telecaster electric guitar, $599.99 by Fender; The Monarch marmalade, $6.53 by Fortum & Mason; Lunatic Fringe hair pomade, $16 by Billy Jealousy; Mineral deodorant, $5.91 by Crystal Essence; Conditioning beard oil, $19 by V76 by Vaughn
My Daily Uniform
I don't spend a long time getting dressed. When it's hot out, I try to wear things that I can wear to the gym also.
I love to get dressed in cold weather, though. Sweaters and vintage Celtics Starter jackets are staples for me.