Bal Harbour

DAVID CASAVANT IS WIDELY KNOWN for his extensive archive of designs by Raf Simons and Helmut Lang—now exceeding 1,000 garments—that flood his two-bedroom apartment overlooking the Statue of Liberty. But the 28-year-old stylist and collector is more concerned with curating an overall vibe, a confluence of street and chic fervently sought after by designers and A-list celebrities alike (Kanye West and Rihanna are known fans). "I like a little bit of attitude," he says while thumbing through a rack bearing some unexpected new additions—a slew of '90s Gap knitwear. "I like it to feel a little snarky or a little angry, to look like it has a bit of emotion in it," he says laughing. The behemoth he's amassed is as much a reflection of himself as it is a paean to the genius of Simons and Lang. Growing up in rural Tennessee, a youthful internet gave Casavant access to the far-off halls of fashion, and online is where he began collecting at 14 years old, competing in eBay auctions for bygone seasons' men's ready-to-wear and purchasing Raf Simons and Helmut Lang pieces long before their demand peaked some years later. The collection he built then filled a niche when he later moved to New York to work as a stylist assistant under Carine Roitfeld, founder of CR Fashion Book. "I really wanted to build my own tool kit to use to make whatever I want," he explains. What is now known singularly as the David Casavant Archive is rented to celebrities to wear, magazines for photoshoots, and to designers for referencing, but it is also used by THE COLLECTOR 122 BAL HARBOUR PHOTO BY SLOAN LAURITS David Casavant is the fashion archivist and celebrity stylist dressing the next generation of tastemakers. BY COCO ROMACK

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