In our 10 Minutes With ... Alex Albon, the Williams Racing driver talks about launching Alex Albon Athletics during the Singapore Grand Prix—that got sold out almost immediately
Thai British racing driver Alex Albon has been enjoying a speedy Formula One season competing for Williams Racing, while representing the Thai flag. Off track too, he’s showing no signs of slowing down—indeed, in September during the Singapore Grand Prix, he kicked off the launch of his footwear brand, Alex Albon Athletics, with a stylish pair of sneakers designed by Albon that sold out almost immediately.
While he’s not permanently swapping driving for designing shoes, it is a new avenue for Albon, and he spoke to Tatler over video chat ahead of the Qatar Grand Prix about how the brand came about and how he incorporated his personal style into the sneakers.
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Could you please tell us about the brand that you launched, Alex Albon Athletics, and how it came about.
It was a spontaneous thing. I love shoes, especially sneakers, and I’m guilty of buying a lot of them. A friend of mine, who’s also a racing driver, started a fashion and lifestyle business, and I thought it sounded fun.
How many pairs of shoes do you own?
Not in the hundreds, but in the high tens. I live in Monaco, which isn’t known for its space, so unfortunately I have had to get rid of some pairs, which is a bit sad.
How did you incorporate your personal style into these shoes?
I don’t have a particular style, I wear a bit of everything. I can go from an English country boy or “gentleman look” to streetwear style and baggy jeans the next day.
We made a high-quality, unisex shoe which I knew I would want to wear every day. We used suede, which is known for its soft texture, around the heel and the tongue to make the shoe feel easy-going—sort of like me—and also included little details like a peace sign and my racing logo.
What was also fun was the branding around the shoe and the creativity behind it. I got my pets involved [in the shoots] and Williams [Racing] helped me release the shoe in Singapore via popup stores.