Long before the likes of Bella Hadid and Cara Delevingne turned athleisure chic, there was Gabrielle Reece. In the ’90s, the beach volleyball champion blended the worlds of fashion and sport like no other athlete before her. When she wasn’t training for the Olympics or touring the world on the competitive circuit, the 6-foot-3 beauty maintained a successful modeling career, shooting with Steven Meisel and Gilles Bensimon and appearing on multiple magazine covers.
On the sand, Reece’s style was about function—even in the psychological sense: The hard-to-miss visors and sunglasses that offered her sun protection during matches also cut off her opponents from reading her game. Utilitarian concerns gave rise to her other style signatures, too: Her trademark switch from the swimsuit bottoms typical to her sport to more performance-friendly leggings allowed for more comfort and free movement during matches, while other ensembles, like high-waist shorts paired with spandex crop tops, took her from training sessions to photo shoots. Her outfits bear an uncanny resemblance to the sorts of styles populating Instagram feeds every day—Adriana Lima in boxer braids showing off her jabs, say, or Teyana Taylor oozing fearlessness whether or not she’s breaking a sweat.
Yet beyond her influential style, Reece also made strides in sports history. She was the first woman athlete to design a signature shoe with Nike. And Reece championed female strength and wellness in 1997, cowriting a memoir, Big Girl in the Middle, that spoke on shattering stereotypes and overcoming adversity because of her size. Today, she continues to inspire off the court as a fitness expert and motivational speaker while raising her kids between Hawaii and Los Angeles.
Here, a look back at some of Reece’s best ’90s looks—fresh fitspo for the weekend ahead.