It is rare that I ever post anything about male models (I must be biased), so I figured I'd find someone a little more masculine than who I usually write about. I introduce Rafael Valentino and, by this reading, he is a pretty impressive individual.

It’s a cloudy winter day in New York City, the type that blends the streetscape into a gray blur of coats. On the corner of Fifth Avenue and 52nd Street, a tall young man swaggers toward me, impossible to miss among the hurrying muggles. "I'm Rafael," he says as he extends his hand.

Even hidden behind his black Ray-Bans, he stands out. At 6'2" and more than a few hamburgers shy of what most guys weigh at that height, Rafael Valentino is clearly a model. He’s also my lunch date. Read More