MAYA STEPPER
Courtesy of Maya Stepper
HURS CURATORS
MAYA STEPPER
The model and goldsmith shares her favorite French bistrot, house slipper and atelier in Rome.
Maya Stepper came to modeling in her mid-twenties, a rare and bold move in fashion, standing out through a natural charisma and strong sense of personal style. Raised in Germany's Black Forest by parents with deep roots in craftsmanship and spirituality she learned values that continue to guide her life and work in New York City. Over the years, she has moved beyond the traditional boundaries of modeling. With numerous global brand partnerships and creative collaborations, Maya has established herself not only as a face of fashion, but as a respected voice within the industry. In 2025, her creative journey expanded into the world of art and design with the launch of her hand-sculpted jewelry collection. A certified goldsmith working in silver, she drew inspiration from her mother’s necklace and the intention of creating pieces to be cherished and passed on eternally. While this first collection focuses on jewelry, it also marks the beginning of a broader exploration into sculptural work and object-making.
IN PARIS, A BISTROT FOR UNFUSSY DINING
There is a particular kind of Parisian restaurant where you end up on a Tuesday, without a reservation, and leave wondering why you don't come every week. À L'Épi d'Or, Jean-François Piège's revival of a 1920s institution near the Bourse de Commerce, ticks that box. The menu is short and seasonal, the classics are genuinely classic: pâté en croûte, steak tartare, riz au lait. Piège is one of the city's most decorated chefs, but you wouldn’t know when taking a seat here. What does is the cooking; assured, unfussy, and delicious in the way that only French bistrot food, done properly, can be.
“This restaurant is my ETERNAL favorite place to dine in Paris. I have been coming here since my very first time in the city when I had just started traveling for work as a model. I've become friendly with all the staff. It’s elegant and cozy, decadently decorated and exudes a sensual, and sort of vintage feel. As much as it’s an institution, it seems to be only known by those ‘who know.’ The crowd is always very French, the food is classic and they have a daily menu with seasonal ingredients so I’m always trying something new.”
“Rome is my favorite city to shop in. All the little lingerie stores with their unapologetic erotic vibe, provocatively right on corners of churches and religious artwork, a strong emphasis on handcraft, plenty of great tailors. I feel so alive and inspired here. Atelier Bomba was RECOMMENDED to me by a stylist while shooting a job in Rome and I fell in love instantly. Their items are mainly made to order, timeless and made of high quality natural fabrics sewn by hand. Many one of a kind. The atelier (as it is truly more an atelier than a store) itself is worthy of a visit, well curated with personal touches of the lives of the people who’ve built this legacy. I spotted hints of India, which reminded me of my own home where I have items from my mother’s time here as well as my personal trips. I felt right at home.”
THE ROMAN ATELIER THAT DOES EVERYTHING BY HAND
Cristina Bomba opened a shop on Via dell'Oca in Rome in 1980 and immediately did several things at once: sold beautiful knitwear, ran a canteen where tea was served all day, demonstrating that taste was integral to her way of life. Forty-five years later, her children—Caterina, a sculptor-turned-creative director, and Michele, a bespoke tailor—run the atelier, and the philosophy remains intact. Each garment is chalked, cut individually, and sewn by hand; buttonholes alone take thirty minutes. The walls are stacked with vintage and archival cloth, sourced over decades. It’s the kind of place that requires no explanation once you are standing in it.
THE THEATER THAT CHOSE INTIMACY
New York has no shortage of places to watch dance, but The Joyce, which opened in Chelsea in 1982, occupies a particular position in that landscape. Built for small and mid-sized companies at a moment when experimental choreography was reshaping what was possible, it became a home for more than 400 companies over four decades; from Bill T. Jones to Pacific Northwest Ballet. It champions artists early, commissions new work, and draws over 150,000 audiences a year through its doors. In a cultural ecosystem that tends to reward scale, The Joyce has always insisted that intimacy has its charm.
“This place combines two of my PASSIONS, art deco and dance. I make sure to go at least once a month if I want to feel something. Nestled in Chelsea, this theater is known for presenting a wide variety of dance styles, from contemporary to classical, established and emerging companies and talents. Renowned architect Hugh Hardy transformed the former cinema into a 472-seat, intimate theater in 1982, preserving its signature patterned brick facade and adding neon accents. The main area has this stunning carpet with geometric and swirly designs and strong silver accents which I have found myself very inspired by for my personal silver works.”
“My most worn shoe of all time. They work with absolutely EVERYTHING. When in doubt, The Bode House Slippers are always the answer. I’ve had my first pair for about 6 years now. I’ve re-soled them a few times, but they’re better than ever, and so comfortable.”
THE SHOE TOO GOOD TO STAY HOME
Bode has always had a talent for making the old feel relevant—antique quilts recut into jackets, forgotten craft traditions made modern. The House Shoe is no different. Modeled on the domestic slipper, made by a third-generation Italian factory, and finished in leather, suede, or embroidered cloth, it takes something that once lived exclusively between the bedroom and the kitchen and gives it somewhere new to be. It’s the kind of shoe that makes you reconsider what counts as getting dressed.
A DANCE CLASS THAT ISN’T JUST FOR DANCERS
Most of us have a dance history; a recital at four, a jazz class we quit at twelve, a club floor at twenty-five. Moves, founded in New York in 2015 by professional dancers Lauren Gerrie and Marisa Competello, exists for all of that. Built on jazz technique, Gerrie and Competello created a workout that’s mainly focused on how you feel over what you achieve. Weekly classes run in New York and Los Angeles, with levels for everyone. No experience required.