Ethiopian model, fashion designer and actress
Liya Kebede
|
---|
Kebede in 2009
|
Born
| (
1978-03-01
)
1 March 1978
(age 46)
|
---|
Occupation
| Model
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Years active
| 2000?present
|
---|
Spouse
|
Kassy Kebede
(
m.
2000;
div.
2015)
|
---|
Children
| 2
|
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Modeling information
|
Height
| 1.78 m (5 ft 10 in)
|
---|
Hair color
| Brown
|
---|
Eye color
| Brown
|
---|
Agency
|
- DNA Model Management (New York)
- IMG Models
(London, Sydney, Los Angeles)
- VIVA Model Management
(Paris, Barcelona)
- d'management group (Milan)
- Iconic Management (Hamburg)
[1]
|
---|
|
Liya Kebede
(
Amharic
:
?? ???
; born 1 March 1978)
[2]
is an
Ethiopian
-born
model
,
maternal health
advocate, clothing designer, and actress. She has appeared on the cover of
Vogue
20 times.
[3]
Kebede has served as the
WHO's
Ambassador for Maternal, Newborn and Child Health since 2005.
[4]
Early life and education
[
edit
]
Kebede was born and raised in
Addis Ababa
,
Ethiopia
.
[5]
She is ethnic
Amhara
.
[6]
She is the only daughter in the family, having four brothers. A film director spotted her while she was attending
Lycee Guebre-Mariam
, the school in which she learned fluent
French
, and introduced her to a French
modeling agent
. After completing her studies, she moved to
France
to pursue work through a
Parisian
agency. Kebede later relocated to the US, initially to
Chicago
then
New York City
.
[7]
Modeling career
[
edit
]
Kebede's big break came when
Tom Ford
asked her for an exclusive contract for his
Gucci
Fall/Winter 2000 fashion show.
[5]
Then in May 2002 she was on the cover of Paris
Vogue
, which dedicated the entire issue to her.
[8]
Kebede has been seen on the covers of
Italian
,
Japanese
, American, French and
Spanish
Vogue
,
V
,
i-D
and
Time
'
s
Style & Design
. She has been featured in ad campaigns including those for
Shiatzy Chen
,
Gap
,
Yves Saint-Laurent
,
[9]
Victoria's Secret
,
Emanuel Ungaro
,
Tommy Hilfiger
,
[9]
Revlon
,
[9]
Dolce & Gabbana
,
Escada
and
Louis Vuitton
.
In 2003, Kebede was named the newest face of
Estee Lauder
cosmetics, the only
Ethiopian
to serve as their representative in the company's 57-year history.
[10]
Her contract was rumoured to be worth $3 million.
[10]
At this time in Kebede's career, she was ranked #1 on models.com.
[11]
In July 2007, with Kebede earning $2.5 million over the previous 12 months,
Forbes
named her eleventh in the list of the World's 15 Top-Earning Supermodels.
[12]
The following year, casting agent James Scully likened her to "an exotic
Grace Kelly
".
[13]
In 2009, Kebede starred in the film-adaption of the bestselling
autobiography
Desert Flower
by former supermodel
Waris Dirie
. The film recounts Dirie's childhood in
Somalia
, her rise to stardom and subsequent awareness campaign against
female circumcision
. It premiered at the
Venice Film Festival
and received a standing ovation.
[14]
Kebede has also had minor roles in
The Good Shepherd
(2006) and
Lord of War
(2005).
[15]
She featured as a 'Face of the Moment' in May 2009's US
Vogue
.
[16]
In 2011, Kebede was among the models featured in
Lacoste
's "new look" campaign in January, with ads shot by
Mert and Marcus
, showing models wearing white Lacoste
polo shirts
worn over black eveningwear.
[17]
Kebede starred with
Jake Gyllenhaal
in a
Calvin Klein
ad.
[18]
Kebede is currently on the list of "New Supers" by models.com.
[19]
Lemlem
[
edit
]
Kebede launched Lemlem, a clothing line, in 2007. Lemlem, which means "to bloom" in
Amharic
, features hand-spun, woven and embroidered women and children's clothing. Kebede founded the line to help preserve the art of traditional weaving in Ethiopia, and to offer work opportunities to local artisans. The line is sold in 150 retailers.
[20]
Advocacy
[
edit
]
In 2005, Kebede was appointed as
WHO Goodwill Ambassador
for Maternal, Newborn and Child Health.
[4]
[21]
She then founded the Liya Kebede Foundation, whose mission is to reduce maternal, newborn and child mortality in Ethiopia and around the world. The organization funds advocacy and awareness-raising projects as well as providing direct support for low-cost technologies, community-based education, and training and medical programs.
[22]
In one health center that the foundation works with, hospital deliveries rose by over 50% in 12 months.
[23]
Kebede has traveled to Ethiopia to support maternal health projects on multiple occasions. In 2009, she worked with the
Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation
as part of their Living Proof Project.
[24]
Kebede served as a High-Level adviser for the
Center for Global Development
's 2009 report "Start with a Girl: A New Agenda for Global Health".
[25]
Kebede writes for
The Huffington Post
about maternal and child health,
[26]
and has been featured in
Vogue
and on
The Daily Beast
.
[27]
She is also part of the Champions for an HIV-Free Generation, an organization of African leaders led by former
President of Botswana
Festus Mogae
.
[28]
Awards
[
edit
]
In 2013, Kebede was named one of
Glamour
's Women of the Year for her philanthropic work through her Liya Kebede Foundation.
[23]
Personal life
[
edit
]
In 2000, Kebede married Ethiopian
hedge fund
manager Kassy Kebede.
[5]
They have two children together: son Suhul (September 2000) and daughter Raee (August 2005).
[29]
As of 2007, the family resided in New York City.
Filmography
[
edit
]
References
[
edit
]
- ^
"Liya Kebede - Model"
.
- ^
"Liya Kebede"
.
Business of Fashion
. Retrieved
27 October
2019
.
- ^
"Vogue's Covers: Liya Kebede"
.
Vogue's Covers
. Retrieved
2024-01-11
.
- ^
a
b
[1]
Archived
December 2, 2009, at the
Wayback Machine
- ^
a
b
c
Wiltz, Teresa. "The Swan."
Essence
magazine (September 2004).
- ^
"Liya Kebede: Model, Mother, Actress, Designer, Activist"
. 30 April 2019.
- ^
"The model of perfection"
.
CNN
. June 11, 2007.
- ^
"Liya Kebede - Fashion Model"
. New York Magazine
. Retrieved
2011-01-11
.
- ^
a
b
c
Sterling, Wayne. "Model Citizen."
Savoy
Magazine, page 31.
- ^
a
b
Naughton, Julie. "Estee Lauder's New Ethnic Mix."
Women's Wear Daily
(March 14, 2003).
- ^
"MODELS.com's 50 Top Models - 5-1"
. Archived from
the original
on February 15, 2004.
- ^
Kiri Blakeley (16 July 2007).
"The World's Top-Earning Models"
.
Forbes
. Archived from
the original
on August 15, 2007
. Retrieved
19 January
2015
.
- ^
Herbst, Kendall (9 May 2008).
"Casting Agent James Scully's All-Time Favorite Models"
.
New York
. Retrieved
20 February
2011
.
- ^
Oakes, Keily (Sep 4, 2009).
"Escaping the Somailian Desert"
.
BBC News
.
- ^
Liya Kebede
at
IMDb
- ^
"Vogue May 2009: More models"
.
GoFugYourself
. 27 April 2020.
- ^
"Memo Pad: Lacoste's New Look... Hail, Mario Testino..."
WWD
. 28 December 2010
. Retrieved
19 January
2015
.
- ^
"Here's How Jake Gyllenhaal Ended Up Reciting Poetry to a Child"
. The Cut. October 20, 2017
. Retrieved
October 29,
2018
.
- ^
"New Supers"
.
MODELS.com
. Retrieved
2019-10-27
.
- ^
Cavanaugh, Alice (December 6, 2019).
"The unstoppable Liya Kebede and her ethical brand Lemlem"
.
Financial Times
.
- ^
Holgate, Mark. "Role Model". US
Vogue
(May 2005).
- ^
"The Liya Kebede Foundation"
. Theliyakebedefoundation.org
. Retrieved
19 January
2015
.
- ^
a
b
Clinton, Chelsea (30 October 2013).
"Models and Philanthropists Liya Kebede and Christy Turlington Burns Are Glamour Women of the Year for 2013"
. Retrieved
24 November
2013
.
- ^
"Living Proof - ONE"
.
ONE
. Retrieved
19 January
2015
.
- ^
"Start with a Girl: A New Agenda for Global Health"
.
Center For Global Development
. Retrieved
19 January
2015
.
- ^
"Liya Kebede: Let's Make Mother's Day a Global Reality"
. Huffington Post. 7 June 2009
. Retrieved
2011-01-11
.
- ^
"Liya Kebede"
. The Daily Beast. 2009-10-16
. Retrieved
2011-01-11
.
- ^
"..:: Champions for an HIV Free Generation ::."
Hivfreechampions.org
. Retrieved
19 January
2015
.
- ^
Burke, Meredith Melling. "Cause for Celebration" US
Vogue
(December 2006).
External links
[
edit
]
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National
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