“You can express something with your own style and body language,” Alaba tells HYPEBEAST. “Your sense of fashion is a window into your personality and your values.” The Austrian midfielder, who favors Dior, Maison Margiela, Louis Vuitton, and Bottega Veneta, says that his personal style is not representative of the normal footballer.

“Your sense of fashion is a window into your personality and your values.”

As the number of professional athletes with an interest in fashion and style grows, Alaba is among them. Héctor Bellern walked for Louis Vuitton last year, and the youthful Everton combo of Tom Davies and Dominic Calvert-Lewin made waves at New York Fashion Week during the winter break. Alaba said of his time at fashion week, “I love the fact that people all over the world come together, share their love of fashion, and get inspiration and what fashion means.” As a football fan, “it’s also very important for me to see something quite different to the football world.”