Copenhagen’s creative scene has its fair share of crossovers, but few feel as surprising as Nicolaj Thomsen—a professional soccer player since the age of 17. In 2019, he co-founded the menswear label Another Aspect, bringing the meticulously honed discipline of the athlete to the fashion world. Now, as he explains, he’s bringing both experiences together in a new role as creative lead of B.93, the century-old soccer club that’s become one of the city’s most unexpected cultural hubs. 

Emily Nathan: What made you start a fashion brand in the middle of your soccer career?

Nicolaj Thomsen: In the beginning, football was everything. I built my whole life around it: what I ate, when I slept, who I spent time with. When I moved back to Copenhagen after playing abroad, I suddenly found myself with friends who were students, artists, people with “normal” jobs and a different rhythm. That opened a new world for me. Two of my close friends, Daniel and Anders, were quietly working on what became Another Aspect. At first, I was just the fitting model, and then an investor, but I found it exciting to be part of something totally different. Because of injuries, I had time to sit with them in the studio and give feedback and I slowly became a co-founder. It was a creative outlet and a second identity for me alongside football, rather than a replacement for it.

EN: How does your new creative leadership role at B.93 bring these two worlds together?