Thursday, October 2, 2008

California Dreamin' in NYC

Last night, my friend Bobbi and I attended the launch party for California Dreamin’, a new calendar shot by travel writer and photographer Mark Chesnut.

Mark and I got to know each other earlier this year during an action-packed press trip to Costa Rica hosted by my Hilton client. I was excited to celebrate Mark’s latest venture – and to get the inside scoop on the stories behind the calendar.

California Dreamin': One of 12 hunks photographed by
Mark Chesnut in his 2009 calendar

Over drinks at Barrage, an intimate gay bar in Hell’s Kitchen, Mark told me the calendar’s title is more thematic than literal. The hunks of the month were actually photographed in a variety of destinations ranging from Buenos Aires to Brooklyn. It’s a credit to Mark’s talent that he’s made the shores near Coney Island look so pristine.

Bobbi and I had the pleasure of chatting with Mr. December, NYC native and sweetheart Steve Interiano. We weren’t surprised to learn that Steve works out 3-5 times a week to maintain his buff bod. Exercise is a hobby, he said, pulling out his PDA to show us more pinup-worthy images from the photo shoot. It occurred to me that it might be time to reexamine my currently non-existent relationship with the gym.

After picking up our goodie bags, Bobbi and I strolled over to Italian bistro Amarone. Over a shared plate of tuna carpaccio and two yummy plates of pasta (orecchiette in marinara sauce for her, spinach fettucine bolognese for me), we talked about wine tastings, charitable social events and the many other reasons we’re excited fall is here.

California Dreamin' is part of Men of The Americas, Mark’s ongoing project documenting a variety of male beauty from across the hemisphere. I’m all for it.

To order California Dreamin’, visit http://www.10percent.com/. For more info about Mark’s photography, head over to http://www.markedwardstudio.com/.

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