Photographers drawn to capture his ruggedly masculine beauty include Randall Mesdon, Doug Ordway, Bruce Weber, Herb Ritts, Michael Tomorrow, David Vance, Bob Frame and Tiziano Magni. In a standout career that has spanned eight years, Fumero has been featured in editorials for nearly every leading publication on the racks, and as Mariah Carey's main squeeze in the music video for Honey.

A 28 year-old Capricorn, David Fumero is one of the most intensely focused young men we've interviewed over the past year. Intelligent, he's also very physical, bursting with a controlled but intense energy. In his own words, whenever he does something, he does it all the way. In short, he's a highly gifted and driven young man with just one life to live, and it's clear he's going for the brass ring.

Thanks a lot for taking the time to talk to us David. We know you have a busy schedule.

Not at all, you've got a cool website — Earnest [Williams of Earnest Management] showed it to me.

First of all, where were you born?

In Havana, Cuba, in an area called Marienal.

How old were you when you left?

My family left Cuba when I was eight years old, in time for me to start third grade in the U.S.

So you were old enough to have memories of Cuba?

Oh yes. Those memories are like a dream now, but I remember my neighborhood, the beach, things like that. Leaving my grandparents was bad though — that was the hardest thing for me.