The magnificent seven: forget the himbo jokes: the new generation of models is savvy, streetwise, and full of surprises. Interview gets the scoop on their eclectic pasts, hectic presents, and promising futures

MATHIAS Hometown: Copenhagen. Campaign: Dior Homme. Before he was a model, he was: A high school soccer player. Hobby: "I draw a lot--pencil and paper, very naturalistic." Definition of despair: "If I had to decide for something bad to happen to someone I love." Nasty rumor: "That all models are stupid." Favorite person: "My big brother." Favorite video game: Counter-Strike. If I weren't a sought-after model, I'd be: A student in art school.

MOHAMED JUNIOR Hometown: Bissau, Guinea-Bissau (W. Africa). Campaigns: Ecko Unlimited and Target. Before he was a model, he was: A professional soccer player. Who knew? His favorite writer is Nobel Prize winner Jose Saramago. Definition of despair: "The diseases and starvation that are destroying Africa." Often mistaken for: Pro basketball player Kevin Garnett. Best advice: "David LaChapelle told me I should take my time and be careful with my decisions."

AMBROSE Hometown: Homer, Alaska. Campaign: Abercrombie & Fitch. Before he was a model, he was: A ski instructor, a carpenter, and an auto mechanic. Guilty pleasure: Driving fast. Model behavior: "A lot of models are pretty boys. They're not very physical when it comes to work." Often mistaken for: Brad Pitt. "But I don't see it." Favorite person: "My mom." Big plan: Becoming a Navy SEAL.

RUSSELL VALENTINE Hometown: Owensboro, Kentucky. Campaign: Marc by Marc Jacobs. Before he was a model, he was: "Living paycheck to paycheck, selling shoes." Nasty rumor: "We don't really think about what we eat." Sporting life: "I used to race motocross." Often mistaken for: Ashton Kutcher. Favorite person: "My dad." If I weren't a sought-after model, I'd be: "Working at McDonald's."

JUSTIN KERN Hometown: Tulsa, Oklahoma. Campaign: Tommy Hilfiger. Before he was a model, he was: A student at Duke University. Big break: Scouted on the street in Florence during his junior year abroad. Guilty pleasure: Steaks and burgers. Model behavior: "Most models are into extreme sports." Sporting life: "I play a lot of golf." Big plan: Writing and directing films.

DOMINIC GABRIEL Hometown: Amsterdam. Runways: Louis Vuitton and Tommy Hilfiger. Big break: Discovered in a Dutch "coffee shop" by Nicky Nicole, a renowned transvestite. Who knew? "I'm a total computer nerd." Guilty pleasure: "Coffee. And I've also discovered Wendy's in America." Ah, the glamour: "Once I had to stand in my underwear in a showroom for Tommy Hilfiger, surrounded by drunk people at a party." Trick of the trade: "It's not about how you look, it's about what you radiate." Often mistaken for: Johnny Depp. Favorite person: "My boyfriend of two and a half years." Big plan: Writing novels.

CALEB Hometown: Dallas. Runways: Dolce & Gabbana and Valentino. Before he was a model, he was: Training in kickboxing and Brazilian jujitsu to become a fighter in the No Holds Barred league. Guilty pleasure: Tiramisu. Model behavior: "Most models do like to party a lot." Ah, the glamour: "Waking up at 4 A.M." Trick of the trade: "Pretending the camera's not really there." Often mistaken for: Jared Leto. If I weren't a sought-after model, I'd be: A beach bum.

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