Somewhat accidentally, Gigi Hadid has become the biggest champion of athleisure. This is mostly because, in her own words, "I genuinely am in athletic clothes 99% of my life." Seeing as the model is followed by paparazzi everywhere she goes, she's frequently photographed in these "going to the gym" getups. These are then fawned over and broken down hi! !) in an effort to identify just how Hadid manages to convince us that wearing leggings out of the house is not only okay, but genuinely cool. While she was anointed in this role mostly by the public, her latest gig only solidifies her reign — and attests to the enduring power of the sportswear trend in fashion.Today Reebok announced Hadid as the new face of its #PerfectNever campaign. She follows Ronda Rousey as an ambassador for the global sportswear brand's initiative to embrace fitness as an opportunity to defy expectations. This message falls under Reebok's larger "Be More Human" movement.The 21-year-old Hadid, of course, knows a bit or two about living under constant scrutiny — even having to summon up her boxing training to defend herself in scary situations . "Gigi is setting the standards of modern style across the world — her ability to fuse fashion and fitness together inspires people globally," Corinna Werkle, Reebok's general manager of the Training Business Unit, said in a statement. "The fashion icon constantly pushes the boundaries by not being afraid to take risks and be different."While Hadid has accrued a wide range of high-profile partnerships over the past year, this is the first time she reps a sportswear brand — although, given her background as a competitive athlete and her affinity for high-waisted leggings, it was a long time coming. Refinery29 caught up with the model to talk about everything from the message behind the campaign to why she thinks athleisure isn't slowing down anytime soon. (Plus: She breaks down the secret to her closely followed gym style — and the pieces she'll be adding to her rotation this Autumn.)"I’ve always been such a big fan of Reebok. I love the clothes and everything that I get to model on my photo shoots, and also the message that the brand puts across is really important to me. The #PerfectNever campaign is just something that I thought that I could represent genuinely. I always look for brands that feel the most natural for me, because those are the easiest to talk about. When you’re the face of the brand, it’s always better to do something that feels true.""I think that right now fashion is super empowering because it’s so comfortable. I know that sounds weird, but there were times when you had corsets and fashion was really kind of stuck up. Now it’s cool to be comfortable and be who you are. I think that people look the most beautiful when they feel the most comfortable. And something that happened to me the other day: When I was leaving a show in what’s considered a high-fashion outfit, a guy picked me up and I elbowed him in the face. It was empowering to be a fashion model — to be something that people have a lot of judgment about and around — and be able to show them something else. That was really cool for me."