LIYA KEBEDE

Liya Kebede is an Ethiopian-born model, maternal health advocate, costume designer and actress. She has appeared on the cover of “Vogue” three times. Kebede has been the World Health Organization’s maternal, newborn and child health ambassador since 2005. Kebede was born and raised in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. She is the only daughter in the family and has four brothers. When she was attending Lycée Guebre-Mariam’s school, a film director discovered her.

She learned fluent French in that school and be introduced to a French model agent. After completing her studies, she moved to France and worked through the Paris institution. Kebede then moved to the United States, initially to Chicago and then to New York City. Kebede established a clothing line in 2007, which is called Lemlem. Lemlem means “blossom” in Amharic. And its characters is hand-woven, machine-woven and embroidered for women’s and children’s clothing.