When Liya Kebede first stepped onto international runways in the late 1990s, fashion insiders were struck not only by her striking presence but by what she represented: a quiet recalibration of beauty standards in an industry long defined by narrow ideals.
Born and raised in Addis Ababa, Kebede’s rise from a local schoolgirl discovered by a French agent to one of the most recognisable faces in global fashion would become one of the most influential African success stories in modern modeling.
Her ascent was swift and historic. By the early 2000s, Kebede had walked for and fronted campaigns with fashion’s most powerful houses, including Chanel, Yves Saint Laurent, Dolce & Gabbana, Estée Lauder and Louis Vuitton.
In 2003, she made history as the first Ethiopian model to become an Estée Lauder spokesperson, a landmark moment that signaled not just personal success, but a broader opening of doors for African representation in luxury beauty and fashion.
At her peak, Forbes consistently ranked her among the world’s highest-paid models, cementing her status as both a cultural icon and a business force.
Yet Kebede’s influence was never confined to the catwalk. Even as her modeling career flourished, she was already envisioning a larger purpose for her platform.
In 2007, she founded the Liya Kebede Foundation, dedicating her global visibility to improving maternal and newborn health in Ethiopia and other low-resource countries.
That same year, she was appointed a World Health Organization Goodwill Ambassador for Maternal, Newborn and Child Health, a role through which she helped bring international attention to issues often sidelined in global conversations.
Her advocacy was grounded in lived experience and cultural proximity.
Kebede spoke openly about the disparities in maternal healthcare in Ethiopia, using her voice to mobilise funding, awareness, and policy conversations.
Unlike celebrity philanthropy that operates at a distance, her work remained deeply connected to the communities it aimed to serve, reinforcing her reputation as a leader driven by responsibility rather than optics.
In parallel, Kebede built a fashion business that reflects her values. Lemlem, the luxury clothing brand she founded in 2007, was conceived as both a design house and an economic intervention.
By working with traditional Ethiopian artisans and preserving hand-weaving techniques, lemlem fused contemporary fashion with heritage craftsmanship, creating sustainable jobs while introducing African-made luxury to a global market.
The brand’s success confirmed by major international retailers and worn by celebrities — demonstrated that African craftsmanship could compete at the highest levels of global fashion without dilution or compromise.
Over time, Kebede’s career evolved into a rare hybrid: part supermodel, part social entrepreneur, part global advocate.
She expanded lemlem’s production beyond Ethiopia to other African countries, reinforcing a pan-African approach to ethical fashion and supply chains.
In doing so, she challenged long-held assumptions about where luxury is made and who defines its value.
Today, Liya Kebede stands as more than a fashion icon. She represents a generation of African women who have leveraged global platforms to build businesses, shift narratives, and address systemic challenges.
Her journey reveals a powerful truth: visibility, when paired with intention, can become influence and influence, when guided by purpose, can drive lasting change.
Keyede has used every stage she’s been given to expand opportunity, redefine representation, and ensure that success carries meaning far beyond personal acclaim.
