Liya Kebede

Born in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia in January 3, 1978, Liya Kebede rose to become one of the highest paid models in the world. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/1557612/Kate-Moss-is-worlds-second-richest-model.html At the height of her career working with noted photographers and fashion designers, she was often featured in ad campaigns for brands like Gap, Tommy Hilfiger, Victoria's Secret, Gucci and Louis Vuitton.

Aside from her work as a model, Liya Kebede is also a Goodwill Ambassador for the World Health Organization. Magazine editor, Anna Wintour called her a "model of the highest rank" and profiled her for Vogue's "Cover Model With a Cause" in its May 2005 issue. http://www.imgspeakers.com/speaker/Liya-Kebede She played small parts in movies like Lord of War and The Good Shephered, and earned a starring role in the drama, Desert Flower, based on a true story by Waris Dirie.http://www.desertflower-movie.com/ She also formed a children's clothing line, specializing in handmade products from Ethiopia. The brand is named LemLem, which means "to flourish" in her native language. http://www.ethiopianreview.com/content/13593

Liya Kebede is married to Kassy Kebede, a hedge fund manager, with whom she has two children , Raee and Suhul.

Discovered by a film director, Kebede embarked on a modeling career after finishing her studies at the Lycee Guebre Mariam and signed on with an agency in France. She moved to New York City in 2000 to pursue an international career and earned her big break while on a modeling stint for Tom Ford's Gucci Fall/Winter 2000 runway show. Kebede stood out among a host of Caucasian models and soon found herself working with big industry names and brands.

Liya Kebede graced multiple magazine covers, including different versions of Vogue Magazines from America, Japan, Italy and Spain. France's Vogue Magazine even came up with a special All About Liya issue that featured mostly stories about her. http://www.liyakebede.com/ She also holds the distinction of being the first woman of color to represent Estee Lauder cosmetics, when the perfume brand signed her to a 3-year contract in 2003. http://news.scotsman.com/entertainment/Liya-chosen-as-the-first.2410523.jp In 2008, Liya Kebede was one of four black models in an all-black issue of Italian Vogue, featuring only stories and profiles on black personalities.http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/19/fashion/19BLACK.html?_r=1

A listing of Forbes Magazine's Top Earning Supermodels in 2007 ranked Liya Kebede in the 11th place out of fifteen models, with Gisele Bundchen earning the first spot. http://www.forbes.com/2007/07/19/models-media-bundchen-biz-media-cz_kb_0716topmodels.htm

The World Health Organization (WHO) made Liya Kebede the Goodwill Ambassador for Maternal, Newborn and Child Health in 2005, allowing her to be involved with awareness campaigns. http://www.who.int/goodwill_ambassadors/liya_kebede/role/en/index.html Her philanthropic endeavors inspired her to establish her own charitable organization, the Liya Kebede Foundation, supporting low-income families with pregnant women, mothers and new born babies in Ethiopia. http://www.theliyakebedefoundation.org/about.php

The model, actress and philanthropist also became an entrepreneur upon establishing the LemLem women and children's clothing line in 2008. The merchandise from LemLem's collection are woven, hand-crafted and sewn in her native Ethiopia, improving the livelihood of native craftsmen, weavers and artisans.http://www.time.com/time/specials/packages/article/0,28804,1838865_1838857_1838726,00.html Lemlem apparel is sold at its online store, as well as retailers such as Barney’s and J. Crew.http://www.lemlem.com/