Maxim November/December 2022

When a lifelong dream has been realized, what’s one to do? Realize another, if you’re Rachelle di Stasio. On Instagram, the striking feats of flexibility sprinkled between runway shots and bikini snaps hint at the first discipline she conquered: ballet. It didn’t take much of her life for di Stasio to do it—she made her professional debut at just 13 years old in the leading role of the Nashville Ballet’s The Nutcracker. But instead of taking a traineeship with her hometown ballet company the following year, di Stasio set her sights on New York’s American Ballet Theatre (ABT), one of the world’s most prestigious dance troupes. “I ALWAYS KNEW I WASN’T JUST BORN TO DANCE” “I was emboldened by my ability and belief that I could go further,” she says of the ABT…

“It’s been interesting to see what’s been happening over just the last few years, how high fashion’s taking from streetwear, and streetwear takes from high fashion,” Dominic Ciambrone says. “My first experience with luxury sneakers was when I was 22 or 23, and I went to a store in San Francisco called Black Scale which had a collaboration with Android Homme,” he continues, name-checking the early Los Angeles luxury sneaker brand whose $300 price tags raised eyebrows at the time. “As a kid, especially for me, I never thought I could afford Louis Vuitton or any of these other brands. So that was actually my introduction to luxury at an entry point, and really to see fashion in a different light.” Dominic—better recognized worldwide as custom sneaker artisan The Shoe Surgeon—knows…

Which produces better dancers, the gridiron or the basketball court? Ask Peta Murgatroyd, she’s partnered with guys of all shapes and sizes in over thirteen seasons on Dancing With the Stars. “Basketball players are so huge. I’ve danced with 6’10”, I’ve danced with Lamar Odom. It’s really difficult,” she recalls about her pairings on the show. “I feel like the football players, number one, they’re shorter, and number two, they’re faster on their feet. They have this ability to move quicker in different directions and pick up the moves far faster than basketball players.” One of her favorite dance partners was Green Bay Packer wide receiver Donald Driver, team record holder for most career receptions and receiving yards, and later a member of the 2010 Super Bowl winning team. “Donald and…

On July 16, Maxim celebrated the 2022 Hot 100 issue and cover star Paige Spiranac with an unforgettable event at Hyde Beach at SLS South Beach. Hosted by Spiranac and co-produced by VIP Nightlife in partnership with MADE, notable guests including NFL great Victor Cruz, pro surfer Anastasia Ashley, stunning model Tess Annique (@tessannique),actorAntoine Morgan, and Miss California Tiffany Johnson walked the red carpet before hitting the red-hot Miami Swim Week soiree. Cruz arrived late into the night with a group of friends including social-media personality, talent manager, and entrepreneur Julieanna Goddard (@YesJulz). The annual Hot 100 bash entertained VIP attendees with specialty cocktails, pop-up lounges, and poolside DJ performances. And the sweltering temps of South Beach didn’t stop the most beautiful people from showing up and lighting up the room. “The…

“CAR COLLECTORS’ PARADISE” “There are the guys who buy these cars and hoard them and keep them locked up. And then there are the guys who actually drive them.” Clearly we are among the latter, at the first-ever Porsche Carrera GT event of its kind, in Napa Valley, California. Staged by the Luxury Rally Club, one of the world’s top players in the ultra-exclusive experiential automotive space, the inaugural CGT Rally saw around $15 million worth of the rare and highly collectible Porsche supercars, of which only around 1,200 examples were built starting in 2003, gather together—along with some equally impressive 911s along for the ride—this past May. The event began at the impeccably-designed Alila Napa Valley resort in St. Helena, and included stops for open-air oysters by the ocean and an…

When the apex motorcycle racing series MotoGP came to Austin this spring it brought more than the fastest bikes on the planet to Texas’ capital. Timed to complement the event, the Handbuilt Motorcycle Show took place highlighting some of the most beautiful, imaginative and wild custom cycles America has to offer. Among the two-wheeled sculptures assembled one that stood out was Revival Cycles’ Ducati Fuse—a sleek crimson creation built in collaboration with the man who commissioned the bike, Ed Boyd. The former Vice President of Design for Dell, Global Category Creative Director for Nike, and Technology Designer for Sony clearly has an eye for aesthetics, so it’s little surprise his vision is so well defined. “He’d designed all these electronics, but never a motorcycle,” Revival Cycles founder Alan Stulberg tells us of…