Barcelona is not only the city of Gaudi or the Ramblas invaded by tourists. Hidden in the folds of the Catalan capital are small refuges, little oases known only to locals who want to get away from the bustle. In a port city facing the Mediterranean sea which, during its thousand-year history, has drawn people from all over to it, it is not difficult to find places that speak different languages and live in different cultures. Nadya Karpova arrived in Spain when she was only 22 years old, after playing the 2017 European Championship with her national team's jersey, first in Seville and then in Valencia. She finally found herself in Barcelona, on the Espanyol side, where she was able to express herself freely and explore a personal side never shown before, becoming the new star of this edition of More Than. Indeed, Nadya Karpova has been able to combine her career as a football player with a series of interests and passions that have made her a person to follow beyond the green rectangle. From her campaigns as an adidas testimonial at her presence at Balenciaga fashion shows, to her coming out during an interview she gave to the BBC, to her tough stance against the Russian invasion of Ukraine that effectively ousted her from the national team, Karpova represents a new model for female athletes: one who is not afraid to voice her opinions, regardless of the consequences. She herself tells us how she has always felt different, and not only because of her great passion for football.

Wearing clothes like armor, to defend oneself from outside attacks but at the same time to finally feel comfortable in a world that is no longer binary. "Demna destroys these boundaries by digging much deeper than just dressing people in fashion. He creates clothes for everyone, does not attribute clothes to a certain gender, and always delves into important themes," Karpova says. And her story suggests how vital it has been for her to constantly fight stereotypes, from the beginning of her career in Russia until her coming out that happened through social media and in an interview she gave to the BBC when she was already in Spain. "During my childhood, subcultures and heavy metal were extremely popular where I grew up. Back then I was constantly hanging out at the skatepark, dressing up in the clothes I bought at skate stores and at rock concerts. I still love the merch of metal bands from my childhood. I have a lot of T-shirts and never aspired to be in fashion. I would see the styles and energies around me and dress how I wanted." Karpova thus shares with Demna a spiritual affinity, also dictated by cultural and geographical proximity. An aesthetic very similar to that which has revolutionized contemporary fashion, where fashion shows have become raves and models are imperfect bodies that translate insecurities, difficulties and desires for normality into oversize silhouettes.

Sitting at wood veneer tables or leaning against faux marble counters, the Espanyol football player is far removed from the aesthetics usually applied to athletes. She herself confirms how her own style off the field is very different from that while playing. "On the pitch, it is important for me that everything is as comfortable as possible, because I am focused on the result, I don't like to be distracted by anything other than football. The only thing I probably like to choose is the color of my boots, I like white or some bright boots and white socks." Instead, today she is in total black, amid decomposed volumes and technical fabrics, combat boots and fetish gloves. The only concession to the football’s world is a pair of Nike Mercurials and her game jersey, the blue and white number 9 of Espanyol.