David Agbodji

David Agbodji is a Paris-born model of Togolese heritage whose breakthrough at Calvin Klein made him one of the defining male faces of the early 2010s. His athletic build and steady gaze suited the house’s sculptural image, while his parallel work as a photographer reflects a broader interest in making pictures.

David grew up in Russia before moving to New York. Art was an early interest, developing from drawing into painting during his student years. In a 2014 interview with Details, he recalled turning down approaches from scouts before agreeing to model for a college friend’s clothing line.

What began as an informal introduction became a profession, and working on fashion sets prompted him to experiment with photography. He credited photographer Cliff Watts with encouraging him to trust his own ideas, an approach that connected the new medium to his earlier artwork.

His international breakthrough came in June 2009, when he opened and closed Calvin Klein Collection’s spring 2010 menswear show. The house then chose him for its spring 2010 campaign, photographed by Steven Klein, and brought him back for the fall advertising. The relationship established David as a leading Black model in luxury menswear.

His portfolio expanded into advertising for Bottega Veneta and Dsquared2, alongside magazine work for Numéro Homme and VMAN. Photography developed alongside those bookings. In 2011, he photographed Fernando Cabral for a Fashionisto exclusive, giving his interest in authorship a public outlet early in his modeling career.

More than a decade after his Calvin Klein debut, David joined Emily Ratajkowski in the Michael Kors x ellesse ski campaign in 2022. The booking extended his connection with athletic menswear into a different register of American luxury. Modeling and photography remain complementary parts of his career, linking the discipline of performing for a camera with the freedom of directing one.