David Alexander Flinn

David Alexander Flinn is an American model and artist whose fashion career grew out of an established sculpture practice. His tattoos became recognizable in designer advertising, but making images and objects has remained central to his working life.

Born in New York to an Italian mother, David grew up between Manhattan and Turin before studying at the School of Visual Arts. Graffiti led him toward formal art training, encouraged by a high-school teacher who recognized his drawing ability.

Sculpture gave him a way to explore materials and construction, interests he also developed while working building jobs to pay for college. His exhibitions included “Mirrors” and “Midnight, Everything Is Alright” at New York’s Envoy Enterprises.

David entered modeling cautiously. In a 2015 interview with Harper’s Bazaar, he traced the start to a Creem feature on creative trades, followed by a J.Crew catalogue. He wanted an established art career first, explaining, “I was a little afraid of compromising one for the other.” He negotiated a booking arrangement with Request Models, walked for Prada, and began working with Steven Meisel. Modeling became another professional outlet, shaped around the studio practice he had already built.

His advertising work included Coach and Yves Saint Laurent’s Y fragrance launch in 2017, where he appeared alongside musician Loyle Carner and researcher Alexandre Robicquet. David’s creative background was part of the casting, giving the campaign an identity beyond the clothes. Magazine work also developed into sustained relationships with publications including Vogue Italia and Vogue Hommes.

Photography and filmmaking eventually led David toward acting. Speaking to Anthem in 2023, he explained that acting classes began as a way to understand what a director asks of performers. “I was always very aware of how people were presenting themselves,” he recalled of growing up in downtown New York.

After photographing and interviewing Katie Holmes, he auditioned for her film Rare Objects, playing Jimmy in his first screen role. That progression connects the different parts of his career, from constructing objects to making photographs and inhabiting characters.