“I first came across Young Dunes on a stop into the Todd Snyder NoMad location about two years ago. I was familiar with some other D.S. & Durga fragrances, and had a few friends raving about their I Don’t Know What scent, but had no idea they were cooking up something in collab with Todd Snyder. The fragrance immediately captivated me—musky and somewhat leathery upon initial sniff. But there was something layered in there that also read more minty or mentholy as I let it settle on my skin that made me truly fall in love with it. I described it once to a friend as what I would imagine a dentist’s office would smell like if it were located inside of a cocktail lounge or whiskey bar. Somehow, that feels like the perfect distillation of my essence in a fragrance.”
Buy D.S. & Durga x Todd Snyder Young Dunes here.
Will Welch, Global Editorial Director: RTH “Yo” spray
“The only fragrance I wear, on occasions, is RTH “Yo” spray. RTH stands for René Tadeo Holguin. It’s an amazing line. René worked at Ralph, and then Levi’s, now he’s been on his own for many years. He makes very famous drop-crotch pants, among other things, using vintage jeans, chinos, military pants. He had the most amazing shop on La Cienega in L.A., which was a totally transportive experience. Part of going to that shop was you completely left L.A. behind and went to a different world. The place is very visually arresting, but it’s also multi-sensory. When you walk in for the first time, you’re like, ‘This is the best smelling place I’ve ever been.’ It’s just cool because there’s very few people who know how to create their own world and use all their senses to do that. Rene is one of those people.
He has a vintage spray for vintage clothes, a home spray, and this stuff called “Yo” spray. It’s called “Yo” spray because Rene’s parents are Mexican immigrants, so yo meaning I.
The idea is less that it applies a scent to you and more that it mingles with and elevates your own smell, which always appealed to me. Rather than wearing something that was going to make you smell like somebody else, it is a way of enhancing your own vibe. You’re not like, ‘Oh I’m Baby Spice today and tomorrow I’m Scary Spice, and on Wednesday I’m going to be Posh Spice.’ It’s just me every day, but with a little elevation, a little enhancement.
It’s very clean, fresh, and it does have a scent coming out of the bottle, but it’s all about what happens when you specifically put it on. For people like me, who don’t really wear cologne at all, it’s very understated. It comes in a clear, unmarked spray bottle. Doesn’t even have any branding. It’s almost like the un-cologne.
You have to check the RTH website. It’s not always in-stock. When it is, I grab a few bottles. That’ll last me a year or two. Sometimes I have to harass René via email. It’s very special stuff for people who aren’t necessarily big cologne guys.”
